Terror accused talked of Syria visit and plan 'to get a gun'

Part of Erol Incedal's trial will be held in secret

A UK man accused of plotting terrorist attacks was secretly recorded talking about being in Syria, a jury has heard.

Police, who had bugged Erol Incedal's car, heard him talking about getting a gun and say that terrorist was a "great word" to describe him.

He is accused of planning to attack ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair, or carry out a Mumbai-style street massacre.

Mr Incedal, 26, is being tried at London's Old Bailey, partly in secret, and denies all charges.

The law student, from London, was recorded as he drove around the capital last October with Mounir Rarmoul-Bouhadjar, who has pleaded guilty to possessing bomb-making plans.

The jury has been told several of the conversations recorded by police during a two-week period were about guns.

In one Mr Incedal is heard to say a particular gun is "not a replica", adding: "Better than nothing… at the moment."

Rarmoul-Bouhadjar replies: "We should have got that when we have a place to hide it, where we gonna hide it?"

"At my house," says Mr Incedal, before the two men laugh about it being "the safest place".

'Great career'

The court heard that a few days later the pair were again recorded talking about firearms.

"So basically update me at every stage and just say… the sausage is nice… there's enough sauce," says Mr Incedal.

"What's the sausage?" says Rarmoul-Bouhadjar.

"Bullets," replies the defendant. "If there's not enough sauce in it, you'll have to make that decision if we're gonna take it or not."

At one point, Mr Incedal says: "They say we're extreme with our terror. We're not extreme with our terror.

"That's the word, radical, it's a very good word. It's actually a very upper class word. Another word, terrorist. That's a great word, Mounir. There's never been a greater word than that that's been used to describe us."

Rarmoul-Bouhadjar later comments: "I would have loved to be an international assassin bruv, it would be such a great career."

The court has heard an address for Tony and Cherie Blair was found in Mr Incedal's car

In other recordings, Erol Incedal discusses battles between jihadists and the Assad regime in Syria.

He predicts that the "Kuffar" - meaning unbelievers - would come and fight once "we take the country".

"They're gonna come fight us because they want to protect Israel," he says.

"It could be one year, it could be six months, it could be next month... it's so close. If Allah gives us a long life, we're gonna see war. It's very close, bruv."

And in another conversation, Rarmoul-Bouhadjar is heard to say: "In Syria the weather was… "

Mr Incedal interjects: "It was like minus 20 degrees because we were on a mountain."

Over the course of two days, the jury have listened to a string of conversations between the two men in which they discuss various jihadist battles in Syria and Iraq, while apparently either listening to or watching jihadist footage from the region.

Mr Incedal denies preparing for acts of terrorism and possessing a document on a memory card called bomb-making.

The trial continues.