Arena bomber’s brother linked to ‘we slaughter’ email address, trial told

Pair allegedly duped friends into helping them buy bomb chemicals online

An email address containing the threat “we have come to slaughter” in Arabic was linked to the Manchester bomber’s brother and used to buy a key ingredient for homemade explosives, a court has heard.

Handwritten scraps of paper bearing the email address bedab7jeana@ gmail.com were found in a bin at the family home of Salman and Hashem Abedi in the aftermath of the attack on May 22 2017, which killed 22 and injured hundreds of others, the Old Bailey was told.

Hashem, the younger brother, is accused of plotting with 22-year-old Salman, who died in the suicide bombing as concert-goers left the Ariana Grande gig.

The brothers allegedly duped friends and associates into helping to buy components of the explosive TATP, while switching vehicles and phones to ensure their actions went undetected.

They used an empty house to take delivery of the chemicals ordered on Amazon using others’ bank details and fake emails, it was alleged.

Yesterday, prosecutor Duncan Penny QC said the bedab7 email address was created on March 20 2017 while connected to free wifi in the Hulme Market area of south Manchester.

Automatic number plate recognition data placed a Toyota Aygo bought by Hashem at the scene, it was alleged.

The vehicle, bought for £250, was later wrecked in a road crash, allegedly scuppering the brothers’ plans to transport chemicals to a home they were using in Rusholme, south

Manchester.

That address, 44 Lindum Street, was used to order 30 litres of hydrogen peroxide, one of TATP’s three components.

The bedab7 email was used to make the purchase, the court was told.

Mr Penny said: “After the explosion, the same email address was found on handwritten torn-up pieces of paper in one of the bins at the Elsmore Road address.

“Translated, ‘bedabjeana’ means ‘To slaughter we have come’, or ‘We have come to slaughter’.”

The pair had allegedly hatched their plot while their parents were in Libya, jurors were told.

Hashem, originally from Manchester, denies the murder of 22 men, women and children aged between eight and 51.

He also denies attempted murder and conspiring with his brother to cause explosions.

The trial continues today.

Hashem Abedi denies being involved in the Manchester attack.