Bomb families tell of ‘overwhelming loss’ as plotter refuses to leave cell
THE families of the Manchester Arena bombing victims vowed “evil will never win” as the homegrown terrorist behind the plot refused to face them in court.
Yesterday the Old Bailey bore witness to an outpouring of grief ahead of the sentencing of Hashem Abedi, younger brother of suicide bomber Salman Abedi.
Mr Justice Jeremy Baker said the 23-year-old had been brought to the court building from prison but added he was powerless to drag him into the courtroom.
It was left to family members of the 22 killed and dozens injured in the blast on May 22, 2017, to describe how the Abedi brothers’ actions affected them.
Harriet Taylor paid tribute to her mother Jane Tweddle (51), a school receptionist who lived in Blackpool.
She said in a statement: “We simply will not let evil win. Evil is invisible, it has no face, no heart, no race. But what we have that evil never will have is love.”
Michael Thompson, father of victim Michelle Kiss (45), from Whalley in Lancashire, added: “We believe there is more good in the world than bad, but unfortunately it only takes one bad person to devastate and destroy so many lives.”
The mothers of teenage sweethearts Chloe Rutherford and Liam Curry told of their devastation. Lisa Rutherford said: “As a family, we need answers. We are destroyed.”
Ms Rutherford, who supporting herself on crutches as she read her statement, said her “heart snapped” when she received a call saying her 17-yearold daughter had died.
Wiping away tears, she explained: “We are lost, we are devastated and we feel an overwhelming loss.”
Abedi was found guilty by a jury in March of 22 counts of murder, attempted murder and plotting to cause an explosion likely to endanger life.
The Old Bailey heard that the Islamic State-inspired jihadi helped his brother order, collect and store materials needed for the plot before the latter blew himself up as thousands of men, women and children left an Ariana Grande concert.
The defendant, who travelled to Libya the month before the bombing, was arrested just hours after the attack and was extradited back to Britain last summer.
He initially told police he wanted to co-operate to prove his innocence, but he absented himself from much of his trial and sacked his legal team.
It meant grieving families and survivors have not heard from the man police believe may have masterminded the plot.
The judge confirmed that Abedi cannot be handed a whole-life sentence because he was under the age of 21 at the time of the offences. However, he could be given multiple life sentences with a minimum starting point of 30 years.
During the trial, prosecutor Duncan Penny QC said Abedi was “just as guilty” as the bomber who killed 22 men, women and children aged between eight and 51.