Hashem Abedi

3 offences

What the court heard

Sentencing remarks 1. On the evening of Monday 22 May 2017 over 14,000 people, many of whom were either children or teenagers, attended Ariana Grande's concert at the Manchester Arena. At about 10.30pm, as the performance came to an end and the audience started to leave through the City Room in order to meet their families and friends who were waiting to collect them, the defendant's brother, Salman Abedi, detonated an improvised explosive device which caused both himself and 22 fellow human beings to be killed whilst many others were very seriously injured. 2. Although Salman Abedi was directly responsible for detonating the explosive device that evening, it is clear that the defendant had taken an integral part not only in the planning of such an event but in participating in its preparation. 3. At the time of the explosion Salman Abedi was 22 years of age, whilst the defendant was 20, having been born on 8 April 1997, and is now 23 years of age. Although their parents had been born in Libya, both the defendant and his brother were born and largely raised in the UK. Indeed, the family home was in the Fallowfield area of South Manchester. Moreover, in the autumn of the previous year whilst Salman was notionally studying for a degree in Business Management at Salford University, the defendant, having previously obtained a City and Guilds qualification in Electrical Installation, had dropped out of his BTEC course in Engineering. 4. At about the same time, some of those who knew the two brothers noticed that their behaviour had altered. They became more observant of their religion, more traditional in their dress and when Salman expressed his support for ISIS, the defendant had agreed with him. 5. It was during the 6-month period leading up to the incident at the Manchester arena that the defendant and his brother began to gather together the type of materials which were necessary for the construction of an improvised explosive device of the kind used in the subsequent explosion. 6. The explosive material which was used in the device was Triacetone Triperoxide, known as TATP, which required three essential ingredients; one of which could be bought over the counter at any pharmacy, whilst the other two ingredients were available over the internet, namely Sulphuric Acid and Hydrogen Peroxide. 7. Neither of these materials was purchased by the two brothers in their own names, rather they were purchased in the names of members of their family or friends who…

Around this case

• Central Criminal Court Crown Court
• Prosecuted by Crown Prosecution Service
• Investigated by Greater Manchester Police