Mohammed Asha

Last updated 16th, December, 2008

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Dr Mohammed Asha was cleared of conspiring to murder hundreds of people with car bomb attacks on London and Glasgow on Tuesday, December 13.

University Hospital of North Staffordshire neurologist Dr Mohammed Asha, of Sunningdale Grove, Chesterton, near Newcastle, was found not guilty of conspiracy to murder and to cause explosions at Woolwich Crown Court.

His co-accused Bilal Abdulla was found guilty of the offences Asha was cleared off.

While he was on remand Dr Asha's work visa expired. He now faces a legal challenge to be allowed to stay in the UK.

During the trial at Woolwich Crown Court, the prosecution alleged Dr Asha possessed a “pledge of allegiance” to Osama bin Laden, a court has heard. Dr Mohammed Asha, who worked at The University Hospital Of North Staffordshire, was on trial at Woolwich Crown Court along with fellow doctor Bilal Abdulla.

They were charged with conspiring to murder and cause explosions in London and Glasgow, on June 29 and 30 2007. A search of Asha’s home in Sunningdale Grove, Chesterton, on June 30, revealed several documents glorifying terrorism.

Jonathan Laidlaw, prosecuting, said: “In a wallet on a bed in the box room, the police recovered a hand-written document in Arabic which includes a poem written in the first person amounting to a pledge of allegiance to Osama, presumably bin Laden. “Fingermarks on documents forming part of this same exhibit match those of Asha.”

Mr Laidlaw told the jury that documents found on a laptop at the house had such titles as Verdict Regarding The Permissibility Of Martyrdom Operations and The Clarification Of What Happened In America.Asha, aged 28, who allegedly provided funding and spiritual guidance to Abdulla and co-conspirator Kafeel Ahmed, was also seen trying to dispose of other documents as the police net closed around him.

On the evening of June 30, with the investigation into both attacks underway, Asha was put under police surveillance, and was seen leaving his home at 7.19pm, along with his family.

Police officers followed him to Pak Foods supermarket in Stoke Road, Shelton, and to Asda at Wolstanton Retail Park. At both, Asha was seen placing plastic bags into bins.

Mr Laidlaw said: “From the Asda car park Asha drove to the M6 motorway, joining the northbound carriageways, and at just after 9pm the police stopped his Mazda car and Asha was arrested.”

The items Asha dumped included a list of Islamic websites, documents in Arabic, and smashed rewritable CDs.The jury was told that he was the first person Abdulla and Ahmed phoned after their failed bombing bid in London.

After speaking to Asha, the pair caught a train to Stoke, and took a taxi to The University Hospital, where Asha was working. CCTV footage shows Asha walking towards the exit at the North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary just before 6pm, apparently to meet the others.

Mr Laidlaw said: “The meeting in Stoke between the bombers and Asha in the immediate aftermath of the failed bombings and before the Glasgow attack is of considerable significance, and demonstrates the importance in Asha’s role in this conspiracy to Abdulla, if not to both men.“After the failure of the London attack Asha was the first person called. The only other person contacted at any stage between the incidents in London and Glasgow was Sabeel Ahmed, Kafeel’s brother.”

Mr Laidlaw suggested that Abdulla and Ahmed, who were now “the most wanted men in the country” needed to speak to Asha about the dramatic change in tactics that would lead to the Glasgow attack.

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