A defendant acccused of involvement in a terrorist plot against Jewish communities in the UK was ejected from the courtroom following an outburst Thursday morning, Manchester Evening News reported.
Amar Hussein had been accused alongside Walid Saadaoui of preparing terrorist acts and plotting to “kill as many Jews as possible.” According to the prosecution, Saadaoui and Hussein planned to attack a mass gathering of Jewish people with a third party named “Farouk,” who was an undercover operative.
Farouk testified Thursday morning, giving evidence on his and Saadaoui’s correspondence when there was an outburst from Hussein, the Manchester Evening News added. The judge, Mr. Justice Wall, told Hussein, “Either you be quiet or you go down.”
After Hussein answered, “I don’t want to listen to this s***”, the judge ordered him removed from court. The trial is continuing in his absence.
The trial accuses both Saadoui and Hussein of, with the intention of committing acts of terrorism, arranging the purchase and delivery of firearms, conducting reconnaissance, and making plans of attack. The prosecution had already told the court that Saadoui had access to weapons such as assault rifles used in the terror attacks in Paris in 2015 when 130 people were killed, and that they were awaiting the delivery of more weaponry to aid a deadly attack.
The prosecutor claimed that Saadaoui “hero-worshipped” the man behind the Paris attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, and wanted to replicate his actions.
Defendants deny the charges
Both Saadoui and Hussein have denied these charges.
Hussein had interrupted the court before during the prosecution’s opening statements, when the prosecutor said that “Untold harm was precisely what Walid Saadaoui had planned to cause, together with the defendant Amar Hussein,” with Hussein shouting out, “How many babies?”
Hussein was removed from the court for the rest of the prosecution's opening, but was allowed to return until Thursday.