Accused admits making London bombs

One of the alleged July 21 bombers has admitted making all the home-made devices, described in court today as being as powerful…

One of the alleged July 21 bombers has admitted making all the home-made devices, described in court today as being as powerful as TNT or gelignite.

Muktar Said Ibrahim (29) is one of six men accused of hatching an extremist Muslim plot to kill commuters in a series of murderous bombings on the London transport system.

They are alleged to have tried to set off four bombs - made of hydrogen peroxide and chapatti flour - which all failed.

Mr Ibrahim's counsel, George Carter-Stephenson QC, told Woolwich Crown Court: "The positive case is that all the devices were constructed in the same way, Mr Ibrahim being principally responsible for their construction."

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Just hours earlier, the jury heard that the explosive used by the six men was so powerful it would have caused death, loss of limbs or serious internal injuries.

The main charge, along with its detonator, had a similar explosive strength to the "highly explosive" gelignite and TNT, according to forensic scientist Claire McGavigan.

She said the alleged bombs could have exploded at around 6km/sec, sending lethal shrapnel travelling at "hundreds of metres a second".

The expert, from the Forensic Explosives Laboratory at Fort Halstead in Kent, said the impact of the device would have only been made worse by screws and tacks taped to the outside - "embedding" themselves into the skin of any innocent by-stander.

Although the alleged bombs did not explode, they caused chaos in London. A woman in the same Tube carriage as the alleged Warren Street bomber Yassin Omar told how he flew into the air after the detonator went off but failed to trigger the main charge.

Marcelle Jermide was seated only yards away when he set off his shrapnel-filled rucksack bomb, the court heard.

The court was told how Mr Omar fled from Warren Street station and was spotted running up the escalator with two wires protruding from his shirt.

Evidence was given by two women whom he asked for help - both of whom refused.

Sheikh Ara said she was walking with her mother on Hampstead Road near Euston Station when a "panicking" man came up to them.

"First of all he said 'excuse me, can you please help me?' He said there had been a train crash and then he said no, a bomb attack," Mr Ara said.

Mr Omar showed them his hands which were covered in powder and asked to be taken to Miss Ara's house.

"I just wanted to get out of the situation. I didn't want to be standing in the road with a stranger. He then said to me - what kind of Muslim are you?"

Eventually he ran off and the following day she recognised his photograph in the media and contacted the police.

The six accused are Muktar Said Ibrahim of Stoke Newington, north London; Yassin Omar (26) from New Southgate, north London; Ramzi Mohammed (25) of North Kensington, west London; Manfo Kwaku Asiedu (33) of no fixed address; Hussain Osman (28), of no fixed address; and Adel Yahya (24) of High Road, Tottenham, north London.

They all deny charges of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions likely to endanger life.