A man who set light to two elderly worshippers who had just left mosques in London and Birmingham allegedly told his first victim: “I swear in the name of Allah, in the name of God, you will know me.”
Jurors trying Mohammed Abbkr were told he used a lighter and petrol contained in a water bottle to set fire to 82-year-old Hashi Odowa and Mohammed Rayaz, 70, on February 27 and March 20 this year.
Abbkr, who came to the UK from Sudan in 2017 seeking asylum and was granted leave to remain two years later, denies two counts of attempted murder and two alternative counts of maliciously administering a destructive thing to endanger life.
The 29-year-old, of Edgbaston, was assisted in the dock by an Arabic interpreter as the Crown’s case was opened at Birmingham Crown Court by Nicholas de la Poer KC on Monday.
The fact that Mr Odowa did not recognise the defendant appears to have provoked the defendant into action
Mr de la Poer told jurors Mr Odowa suffered minor burn injuries to his ear and hand after being set on fire as he made his way to a neighbour’s car outside West Ealing Islamic Centre in west London.
The Crown’s barrister told the court: “The defendant, Mohammed Abbkr, also attended evening prayers that night at the West Ealing Islamic Centre.
“He followed Mr Odowa from the entrance door of the centre, catching up with him as he made his way to (his neighbour’s) car.”
Mr de la Poer added: “There followed a conversation during which the defendant insisted that Mr Odowa knew him. Mr Odowa told the defendant that he did not.
“Once they reached the vehicle (the victim’s neighbour) asked the defendant to leave Mr Odowa alone.
“The fact that Mr Odowa did not recognise the defendant appears to have provoked the defendant into action.
“The defendant said ‘I swear in the name of Allah, in the name of God, you will know me’.
“He then sprayed Mr Odowa with a pale-coloured liquid, aiming for his head. The defendant had brought the liquid with him in a clear plastic water bottle.
“Having sprayed Mr Odowa with petrol, the defendant drew out a lighter, struck the lighter, held it to Mr Odowa’s neck and ignited the petrol.
“Shortly after setting Mr Odowa on fire, the defendant walked away.”
Describing the attack on the second victim, Mr de la Poer continued: “Weeks later, and slightly more than 100 miles away, a man called Mohammed Rayaz attended evening prayers.
“His chosen place of worship was the Dudley Road Mosque.
“Apparently praying near him that evening was the defendant. In the course of their time in the prayer hall, the defendant looked at Mr Rayaz a number of times.”
When prayers had concluded, Mr de la Poer said, Abbkr waited for Mr Rayaz to pass by and followed him at a distance of just a few metres for more than five minutes.
He then took the same clear plastic bottle from a rucksack, approached Mr Rayaz in Shenstone Road, placed a hand on Mr Rayaz’s shoulder and asked him if he spoke Arabic.
Mr de la Poer told the jury: “The defendant then sprayed Mr Rayaz with the petrol.
“Using a lighter, the defendant set fire to the petrol. Mr Rayaz was engulfed in flame.”
The court was told that, as the initial flare of the fire began to diminish, the defendant threw more petrol from his bottle on to the flames and they “grew in size and intensity once again”.
During the first stage of his opening speech, Mr de la Poer told the jurors that the trial is not one in which they will be asked to determine the identity of the attacker.
“It is important you know from the outset that the defendant admits that he is the person who set both Mr Odowa and Mr Rayaz on fire,” he said.
Abbkr was arrested the day after the second attack by police who saw someone matching his description approach the entrance to the mosque.
The jury was told Mr Rayaz suffered serious burn injuries, particularly to his head, and was treated in hospital for a number of weeks.
CCTV footage of both incidents was shown to the jury, and included audio which captured Mr Rayaz’s shouts of pain.
Mr de la Poer said: “When the defendant lit the petrol, Mr Odowa escaped serious injury as he was able to remove his burning jacket and his vest, which was also burning.
“It was also Mr Odowa’s extremely good fortune that (his neighbour) was present. He removed his own jacket to help smother the flames and removed Mr Odowa’s burning hat from his head.”
Describing footage of the second incident, Mr de la Poer told the court: “The CCTV captures that at this point Mr Rayaz was engulfed in a ball of flame which subsequently subsided to reveal that he was on fire from head to foot.
“Within seconds of the first fireball dissipating, the CCTV records the defendant throwing more petrol onto the flames which were covering Mr Rayaz. This caused a second fireball to engulf him.”
Jurors were told they may have to consider a defence of insanity and will hear evidence from three psychiatrists.
In an interview with one psychiatrist, who judged Abbkr to have paranoid schizophrenia, the defendant claimed those he attacked were not human and he did not expect them to have been hurt by the fire.
Abbkr also said he believed those he had set on fire were among several people “controlling him through magic”.
The trial continues.
