Court told about arena bomber’s brother’s role

Hashem Abedi alleged to have helped brother make bomb that killed 22

The brother of the Manchester Arena bomber helped to make the explosives that killed 22 people and injured many others, a court has heard.

Hashem Abedi, 22, was allegedly linked to the bombing by a scrap of metal from a Consumer’s Pride vegetable oil can found at the scene of the carnage.

He had also allegedly bought screws and nails for shrapnel and used fake online accounts to purchase two of the three chemicals to make TATP explosives, jurors were told.

His brother Salman Abedi, 22, then detonated the device as fans were leaving an Ariana Grande concert at 10.31pm on May 22 2017.

Opening the younger brother’s trial at the Old Bailey, Duncan Penny QC said: “The prosecution’s case is that this defendant is just as guilty of the murder of the 22 people killed as was his brother.”

The court heard how Salman Abedi, carrying the bomb in a rucksack, joined the throng of parents and families picking up young concert-goers in the foyer of the 21,000 capacity venue, before detonating.

Mr Penny said: “Such was the ferocity of this explosion that Salman Abedi was dismembered in the process.”

Mr Penny said the explosion was the result of months of planning, experimentation and preparation by the brothers.

Hashem Abedi had allegedly assisted and encouraged his brother by obtaining chemicals and sourcing oil cans from his work at a takeaway in

Greater Manchester, saying he wanted them for scrap.

His fingerprints were later found on scraps of metal from the cans at the family home in Fallowfield, Manchester, and at his brother’s rented flat in the city centre, the court heard.

A piece of metal retrieved from the bomb site was a “perfect mechanical fit” for the other scraps at the two addresses, which were the very same type as the cans at Abedi’s work, it was alleged.

The court heard how Salman and Hashem Abedi had rented a flat in north Manchester to prepare explosives.

After the bombing, Hashem’s DNA and fingerprints were found at the address as well as traces of TATP.

The brothers also used the Amazon accounts of others to order chemicals.

The teenage brother of one of them later recalled a conversation in a car allegedly with Salman Abedi.

Mr Penny said: “Salman spoke of Jihad and on hearing (the boy) was studying chemistry, said: ‘Do chemistry so you can build a bomb.’

“All of this was said in the presence of Salman’s brother Hashem who later claimed that he had no inkling of the radicalisation of his brother and that he believed that his brother required the acid for family reasons.”

In April 2017, the brothers purchased a Nissan Micra to store bomb-making equipment, the court heard..

Hashem, originally from Manchester, denies 22 counts of murder, attempted murder and conspiring with his brother to cause explosions.

Pictures: PA. Court artist sketch of Hashem Abedi, above, who is alleged to have helped his brother, Salman, make the bomb that killed 22 at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester in 2017.