Relief as Arena bomb plot brother faces jail

THE PARENTS of one of the 22 victims of the Manchester Arena bombing have spoken of their overwhelming sense of justice for the “heinous crime”, but no end to the pain it caused.

Bereaved families had watched the trial of Hashem Abedi at the Old Bailey and by video link in courts in Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds and Newcastle.

Following the guilty verdict, Paul Hett, whose son Martyn Hett, 29, was murdered in the blast, thanked police and security services for bringing Hashem back from Libya to face trial.

He said: “This verdict will not bring back the 22 victims murdered by Salman and Hashem Abedi. Nor will it restore normality to the 22 families whose lives have been totally shattered by this murderous attack.”

But he said it would “give an overwhelming sense of justice to all those affected by this heinous crime”.

Lawyer Victoria Higgins, who represents 11 of the families, said “the overwhelming emotion for most will be one of relief that he cannot hurt anyone else”.

Max Hill QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions, said Abedi had “blood on his hands”. And Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson, of Greater Manchester Police, said the verdict would “do little to ease the pain caused to so many people”.

Hashem Abedi was found guilty of murdering 22 people and injuring hundreds more in May 2017. Among those killed were Sorell Leczkowski, 14, from Leeds; Courtney Boyle, 19, a Leeds Beckett University student from Gateshead; Kelly Brewster, 32, from Sheffield; Wendy Fawell, 50, from Otley; and Angela and Marcin Klis, a married couple from York.