Terror suspect ‘tore down neighbour’s England f lag’
THE key suspect at the centre of an alleged Islamist bomb plot foiled by police threatened neighbours with a hammer and once tore an England flag down from a wall, it was claimed last night.
Mohamed Amoudi, 21, one of the six people held by armed police last Thursday over an alleged ‘active’ bomb plot to target London landmarks, was described yesterday as a nightmare neighbour who was once seen waving a hammer at a resident.
Details about the Yemeni-born suspect emerged yesterday as police revealed that the 21-yearold woman who was shot in the raid in Willesden Green, North West London – and said to be related to Amoudi – had been released from hospital.
The young woman – yesterday wrongly reported in one newspa- per to have been pregnant – was believed to be unarmed when a team of balaclava-wearing armed police opened fire, shooting her at least once during the raid when she reportedly defied their instructions to ‘freeze’.
Bleeding heavily, the 21-year-old described as a white English woman wearing a burka, was dragged screaming into the street following the shooting at 7pm, shouting: ‘Don’t touch my body’.
Yesterday Scotland Yard said she had been released from hospital after receiving treatment and had immediately been arrested on Sunday afternoon on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.
A number of Amoudi’s relatives were also held in the same raid, including his 16-year-old brother. Police have refused to confirm the names of those held, but those registered at the address include a nursery volunteer and a financial analyst.
Last night locals said Amoudi, who is thought to have lived there with his wife, brothers and mother, had been involved in a number of disputes with neighbours since returning from Turkey in 2015 when he was arrested with two 17year-old boys believed to be travelling to Syria to join IS fighters.
All three were questioned by police on their return to Britain but released without charge. After his return, Amoudi was seen ripping an England flag off the wall in a row with a neighbour.
Another local resident claimed in the last two years police had been called to the property at least five times following a series of disputes. In one row, Amoudi was allegedly seen standing behind his mother waving a ham- mer at one neighbour saying: ‘I’m going to **** you up with a hammer’, which resulted in the neighbour being arrested and cautioned by police after he offered to fight Amoudi outside the property.
Amoudi was not arrested. One woman, who claimed the family would kick her door every time they went past, said: ‘The odd thing about them was that they never really wanted to mix or socialise. They have always covered their windows with black bin bags so no one could look inside.’
Amoudi’s mother, thought to have come to Britain with her children more than 16 years ago, is said to work for Brent Council.
Police have been granted further time to question the six suspects and the seventh woman arrested yesterday. They are in custody at a south London police station.
Yesterday it emerged that a 28year- old man registered at the address is a supporter of firebrand cleric Mohammad al-Arefe who is banned from the UK. A Met Police spokesman said: ‘The address in Harlesden Road and persons connected with it had been under observation by counter terrorism officers as part of an ongoing intelligence-led operation.’
Police who disrupted two attacks in the capital last week also fear that Islamist extremists are planning at least two further atrocities in London in the near future.
‘They never really wanted to mix’