Man guilty of setting men alight near Birmingham and Ealing mosques

A man who set fire to two elderly worshippers after they left mosques has been convicted of attempted murder.

Mohammed Abbkr, 29, sprayed petrol on and set alight Hashi Odowa, 82, and Mohammed Rayaz, 70, during attacks in London and Birmingham.

He told Mr Odowa "I swear in the name of Allah, in the name of God, you will know me," Birmingham Crown Court heard.

Abbkr was found guilty by majority verdict over the attacks in Ealing and Edgbaston, in February and March.

The Recorder of Birmingham, Judge Melbourne Inman KC, told the court he wanted to hear further psychiatric evidence before considering a proposal to sentence Abbkr, of Gillott Road, Edgbaston, to a hospital order.

The defendant who, the jury was told, had admitted setting fire to both men, is due to re-appear at the court on 17 November.

Mohammed Abbkr had admitted he was the person who set both men on fire

Both of his victims needed hospital treatment, with Mr Rayaz kept in for several weeks having suffered life-changing injuries.

Mr Odowa was attacked as he made his way to a neighbour's car outside West Ealing Islamic Centre, when Abbkr followed him after evening prayers.

Prosecutor Nicholas de la Poer KC said Abbkr had insisted his victim knew him, which was untrue, and that seemed to "provoke" him.

Ball of flame

He then used a lighter to ignite petrol he had in a water bottle and sprayed it at Mr Odowa's head. His victim escaped serious injury only because he was able to remove his burning jacket and vest.

A month later, Abbkr set fire to Mr Rayaz, after the defendant followed him from Dudley Road Mosque in Birmingham, again after evening prayers.

Abbkr threw more petrol on him after the initial flames dissipated, engulfing him "in a ball of flame which subsequently subsided to reveal that he was on fire from head to foot", the court heard.

Abbkr can be seen inside the Dudley Road Mosque where Mr Rayaz was also captured on camera attending evening prayers

The court was shown CCTV footage of both attacks, during which Mr Rayaz could be heard shouting in pain.

Neighbours helped to put the flames out before carrying him to his home.

Counter-terror police were later drafted into the investigation in a case that was described at the time by Downing Street as "concerning".

'Controlling through magic'

During the trial, jurors heard one psychiatrist judged Abbkr to be a paranoid schizophrenic, after the defendant claimed those he attacked were not human and therefore not expected to be hurt by fire.

Abbkr, who came to the UK from Sudan in 2017 seeking asylum and was granted leave to remain in 2019, also said he believed those he had set ablaze were among several people "controlling him through magic", the court heard.

In a statement issued by West Midlands Police after the hearing, Mohammed Ayaz, the eldest son of Mr Rayaz, described seeing his father after the attack was "just awful and unbearable".

Police released images of the remnants of Mr Rayaz's burnt coat after the attack

"No words can describe that moment the emotions which I was feeling, I felt so helpless and weak, no son or daughter should see their father or mother in that state," he said.

Another son, Adnaan Riaz, said the CCTV of his father being set on fire and his screams of pain would stay with him forever.

"I would describe the attacker as a coward, this coward does not belong to any religion, society or even humanity," he said.

"This impact of emotions which I have shared with you will be felt by me and my family for a very long time to come, and will remain with me for the rest of my life."

Mohammed Rayaz was seriously injured and required a skin graft after he was attacked

Ch Insp Haroon Chughtai, said the attacks were "absolutely horrific" and "almost defy belief in their apparent randomness and severity".

There was no evidence Abbkr was motivated by a particular ideology, and so the incidents were not treated as a terrorist attack, he explained.

"The courage of the victims and their families has been exceptional," he said.

"They have been left with physical and emotional wounds that they may never recover from, but I hope today's verdicts will offer them some comfort."

'Close to Ramadan'

Abbkr was caught the day after the Birmingham attack and Ch Insp Chughtai said the force drafted a lot of officers into the investigation.

"It was very close to the start of Ramadan so we could understand the fears and tensions that were in the wider community," he added.

Shabana Mahmood, Birmingham Ladywood MP, who was in contact with Mr Rayaz's family after the attack, said both men were victims of of "heinous violence".

"I am incredibly proud of the way our local community in Birmingham pulled together to support Mr Rayaz, his family and each other, as well as supporting the police to do their job," she said. "I hope this verdict gives both victims and their families justice and goes some way to help ease the pain and suffering they have been through."