Bombing suspect accuses co-defendant of betrayal

An NHS doctor accused of terrorism told Woolwich crown court yesterday that his friend and co-defendant had destroyed his life.

Giving evidence for a fourth day in the trial over an alleged car bombing campaign, Mohammed Asha, 28, said of Bilal Abdulla, 29: "He used me. He betrayed me and he destroyed my life.

"My previous question I asked was, Am I going to resume with my normal life? These are my concerns at the time. What are the consequences of this if he's involved? That is what I'm here for."

Asha told the jury that Abdulla described himself as reckless. "I listened, like all of us, to his explanation about being reckless and careless. I'm not sure how genuine that is. It's more about selfishness really and he probably hasn't thought about it. The whole thing is stupid and impulsive.

"His rationale would have been legitimate collateral damage in pursuit of bringing the attention back to the Iraqi cause, whatever was his final end or target. I think he thought it was a legitimate sacrifice."

The court also heard that the pair disagreed over the attention they paid to religion. "Bilal is clearly no doubt much more devout than me," Asha said. "My life has always been hard work, family and entertainment. Religion came as a complementary element. It wasn't a dominant ideal at all. I used to watch at least two movies a week. That was one of the criticisms that Bilal directed at me."

Asha and Abdulla deny conspiracy to murder and to cause explosions last summer. The men were behind a car bomb attack in London's West End and a suicide attack on Glasgow airport, the court has heard.

Kafeel Ahmed died of burns weeks after he drove a 4x4 into the airport and doused himself in burning petrol.

At the time of their arrests, Abdulla worked as a junior doctor at the Royal Alexandra hospital, Paisley, while Asha was employed by the University hospital of North Staffordshire.

Asha told the jury he did not call the police about his suspicions over his friend's involvement in terrorism because he was "frozen by fear".

After his arrest, investigators found a number of files on his computer containing extremist material, the court heard.

Jonathan Laidlaw QC, prosecuting, told the jury that a video file depicted beheading of hostages and attacks on coalition forces and vehicles in Iraq.

During questioning about his computer, Asha maintained that it had been set up by Abdulla and he had not opened the extremist files. He also dismissed their contents, saying: "They hijack the word jihad to explain their own agenda. Their explanations are twisted. Twisted ideologies and arguments."

Laidlaw asked him: "Is your evidence to the jury that you had never discussed with Bilal Abdulla that the provision of funds by you may discharge your obligation to violent jihad?"

Asha: "I'm doing my jihad in my hospital and at home with my wife and son."

The trial continues.