Man denies Ealing and Birmingham mosque attacks

Mohammed Abbkr is due to face trial on 9 October

A man accused of setting alight two elderly men as they left mosques has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder.

Mohammed Abbkr, 28, is accused of injuring his alleged victims in Ealing, west London, in February and the second in Birmingham in March.

West Midlands Police previously said Mr Abbkr is alleged to have sprayed a substance on the men and set it alight.

Appearing at Birmingham Crown Court via videolink, he denied two counts and is expected to face trial on 9 October.

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

Mohammed Rayaz, 70, suffered severe injuries after he was set on fire as he walked home from Dudley Road Mosque in Edgbaston, Birmingham, at about 19:00 GMT on 20 March.

Mr Abbkr was arrested in the Dudley Road area the following day on suspicion of the attempted murder of Mr Rayaz.

He was later arrested on suspicion of the earlier attack on 82-year-old Hashi Odowa, who suffered severe burns to his face and arms near an Islamic centre in Ealing.

Mr Abbkr, of Gillott Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, who is originally from Sudan, was assisted by an Arabic interpreter at the hearing on Friday where he was remanded into custody until the trial at the same court.