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Courts told of brothers’ ‘movements’ ahead of Manchester Arena attack

Jurors in the Manchester Arena bombing trial have been shown a series of maps allegedly tracking the suspected plotters’ movements in the lead up to the attack.

Hashem Abedi, 22, is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of helping his brother Salman stockpile chemicals to make explosives before the bombing on May 22 2017.

Analyst Morwenna Cross presented maps charting cell site data relating to the brothers’ mobile phones and ANPR, automatic number plate recognition cameras which allegedly captured the movements of Hashem Abedi’s Toyota Aygo around Manchester in March 2017.

Central Criminal Court – stock
The case is being heard at the Old Bailey/PA)

The evidence allegedly linked the defendant to the plot, including setting up an email address meaning “We have come to slaughter” in Arabic which was later used to order one of the chemicals used to make TATP explosives.

The month before the bombing, the brothers went to Libya but Salman Abedi returned alone to carry out the attack, the court has heard.

On May 22 2017, he detonated explosives packed with shrapnel inside a rucksack as people were leaving an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena, killing 22 and injuring hundreds more, jurors have heard.

Hashem Abedi, originally from Manchester, has denied 22 counts of murder, attempted murder and plotting to cause explosions with his brother.