Mohammed Asha terror trial: Jurors see 'bombers' factory'
Mohammed Asha, pictured, who worked at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire, and fellow medic Bilal Abdulla are on trial at Woolwich Crown Court charged with conspiring to murder and cause explosions in London and Glasgow last June.
Yesterday the prosecution showed the court a series of photographs showing the messy interior of the property in Neuk Crescent, Paisley, where Abdulla and co-conspirator Kafeel Ahmed allegedly assembled their car bombs.
The jury heard evidence from Detective Constable Richard Reynolds who conducted the search.
DC Reynolds said it started on July 1, 2007, the day after the failed attack on Glasgow Airport, and continued for 14 days.
The court heard how the police had catalogued the hundreds of items they believed were connected to the attacks, many of which were found strewn across the living room.
DC Reynolds said: "There was a large number of items which we would consider significant."
These items, he said, included matches, batteries, electronic components, modified mobile phones and bulbs connected to wiring, all of the kind found in the detonation devices used in the London car bombs.
There were also hand-drawn circuit diagrams, receipts from a number of DIY stores, quantities of nails, tools such as wire clippers, digital multimeters and packaging and instructions for a set of two-way radios.
Mark Heywood, prosecuting, told the court the conspirators had even used a salt grinder to grind match heads in the construction of their bombs.
Police also found a North Birmingham PCT identity card for a K Rao, which featured a photograph of a young Kafeel Ahmed.
Mr Heywood told the court this alias had been used by Ahmed to purchase the Jeep used in the Glasgow attack and was subsequently used by Abdulla to book a taxi in Stoke-on-Trent.
The jury also heard that inside a Vauxhall Vectra rental car, used by Ahmed and Abdulla, police recovered a printed list of the names and addresses of a number of individuals with the name Rao.
Inside the property's garage – the window of which was covered in a black bin liner and bubble wrap – the police found jerry cans, propane gas regulators and gas bottles.
Judge Justice Mackay told the jury it was necessary to look into the contents of the house in detail in order to determine the intentions of the defendants.
He said: "It is important to know what they were doing there and what their activities were."
Earlier in the day, the jury was shown photographs of the burnt-out Jeep and its contents.
Members were told police found 10 translucent fuel containers, some of which had been melted in the blaze, which had probably been filled with up to 190 litres of petrol.
The vehicle also contained nails and screws, a number of broken glass bottles and significant quantities of matches.
Detective Constable Suzanne Rex, who carried out the search, confirmed that the police had found a number of documents relating to Abdulla.
Asha, aged 28, of Sunningdale Grove, Chesterton, is accused of providing funding and guidance to Abdulla and Ahmed.
Both defendants deny the charges.
The trial continues.
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