Wife 'failed to report bomber's plans'

Last Modified: 27 Feb 2008
Source: ITN

A wife of one of the failed July 21 bombers knew of his plans for "mass murder" but did not report him to police, a court has heard.

Yeshi Girma also helped her husband Hussain Osman flee to Brighton after the "near calamitous" 2005 attacks in London, the Old Bailey heard.

It is alleged the 31-year-old was aware that Osman was falling under the spell of radical Islam.

She allowed Osman to take their young son with him to a training camp in Cumbria where he met the four July 21 bombers, jurors heard.

Tapes of "extremist Islamic preaching" by speakers such as Abu Hamza and Sheikh Faisal were found to have her fingerprints and those of her brother Esayas Girma on them, said Max Hill, prosecuting.

He said: "Yeshi Girma had prior knowledge of the events of 21/7. She had some information about what the bombers intended to do on 21/7, but failed to bring this to the attention of the police."

Mr Hill added: "Had the bombers successfully and completely detonated the bombs on busy Tube trains that day, there would have been carnage and mass murder.

"Armed with that prior knowledge of what was going to happen, Yeshi Girma could have attempted to prevent the attacks, which, but for shortcomings in the production of the explosive devices, would have killed and injured many people."

Girma, from Stockwell, south London, denies charges that she had information about terrorism and "without reasonable excuse" failed to disclose it.

Alongside her in the dock is her brother, Esayas Girma, 22, also from Stockwell, and sister, Mulu, 23, from Brighton.

Also on trial are Shadi Abdelgadir, 24, and Omer Almagboul, 22, from Brighton.

All the defendants deny assisting Osman to escape after bombs carried by him and others failed to ignite on Tube trains and a bus in July 2005.

Osman was eventually able to flee to Rome via Paris on a Eurostar train from Waterloo station, the court heard.

The allegations against the five defendants mainly related to the 48-hour period between the failed attacks and Osman's return to London from Brighton, the jury was told, as well as Yeshi Girma's alleged prior knowledge.

The "extreme interest" in news coverage of the events of July 21 on the laptop computer was because those using it were "keen to know whether and when the coast was clear" for Osman to escape, it is alleged.

Mr Hill said there was a "high incidence" of calls between Yeshi and Esayas Girma after the failed bombings.

He said this was triggered by Osman's first contact with Yeshi after his attack at Shepherds Bush Tube station and the formation of a "hastily arranged escape plan" to take him to Brighton.

These news feeds are provided by an independent third party and Channel 4 is not responsible or liable to you for the same.