Car bomb plot accused 'furtive'

A doctor accused of planning terror attacks behaved in a "furtive manner" before his arrest, a jury has heard.

Surveillance officers followed Mohammed Asha, an ex-Staffordshire doctor, on the day of an attempted car bombing on Glasgow airport in 2007, a court heard.

Police said he was seen to dispose of plastic bags - allegedly containing material related to Jihadi websites - in recycling bins near his home.

Dr Asha, 28, and Dr Bilal Abdulla, 29, deny conspiracy to murder.

They have also pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to cause explosions.

'Very agitated'

The jury heard evidence from Staffordshire Police detectives who watched Dr Asha's home in Newcastle-Under-Lyme and followed his movements on 30 June 2007.

Det Con Anthony Pine told the court Dr Asha was filmed after arriving in his car at Pak Supermarket in Shelton, Staffs.

"He also said that all his friends were good apart from one bad person"
Translator Adel Abdalla

"He seemed to be very furtive, looking towards the entrance and the exit of the store and across in the direction of the red wheelie bin located in the corner of the car park," said the officer.

Another surveillance officer, Det Con Shawn Davison, said Dr Asha arrived at an Asda supermarket about 20 minutes later.

He told the court: "He stood adjacent to the open driver's door, looking around the car park in a furtive manner, generally looking very nervous."

Dr Asha was then said to have been seen in a different parking area near some recycling bins.

Det Con Davison said he was seen to put a black plastic bag in one bin and a white plastic bag in another.

Det Con Vincent Flynn, who filmed Dr Asha from about 50 metres away, said of his behaviour: "It was furtive, it was nervous, very agitated... very stiff, looking around the whole of the car park taking in everything that was going on within the car park."

'Friend blamed'

Jordanian Dr Asha was arrested later that day after police stopped his car on the M6 between Newcastle-under-Lyme and Manchester.

Iraqi Dr Abdulla and India-born engineering student Kafeel Ahmed, 28, who has since died from burns injuries, were both held at Glasgow airport.

Prosecutors say the airport attack took place a day after Dr Abdulla and Mr Ahmed tried to set off bombs in two cars they had parked in London's West End.

The court heard Metropolitan Police Arabic translator Adel Abdalla monitored a telephone call Dr Asha made to his family in Jordan after his arrest.

Mr Abdalla told the jury: "Mr Asha informed his family that he had been charged with conspiracy to cause explosions...

"He also said that all his friends were good apart from one bad person who is Iraqi who is responsible for all his problems.

"He said that the Iraqi guy was responsible for all that went on and that the Iraqi was in charge. He said that he is in this situation because he knew him."

Earlier, the court heard from Mrs Fathima Nizam, who was with her husband, Dr Asha and Dr Asha's wife on the afternoon of 30 June when news of the Glasgow attack appeared on TV.

She said he later became quiet which was "quite strange because normally he would talk quite a lot".

She was asked by defence barrister Stephen Kamlish QC, whether Dr Asha had ever expressed extremist views.

Mrs Nizam said she had not heard such opinions from him and agreed with the lawyer that Dr Asha "wasn't a quiet man" and "says what he thinks".

The trial was adjourned until Wednesday.