Mosque attacker 'used petrol' to set pair on fire

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

A man who set alight two elderly men as they left mosques used petrol contained in a water bottle to carry out the attacks, a court heard.

Mohammed Abbkr, 29, is on trial over injuries to Hashi Odowa, 82, near an Islamic centre in Ealing, and Mohammed Rayaz, 70, in Birmingham.

The jury heard he told the first: "I swear in the name of Allah, in the name of God, you will know me."

He denies two counts of attempted murder.

Mr Abbkr, of Edgbaston, Birmingham, has also denied two alternative counts of maliciously administering a destructive object to endanger life.

Opening the prosecution's case at Birmingham Crown Court, Nicholas de la Poer KC told jurors that while they must reach a decision on the charges, they would not be asked to determine the identity of the attacker, as that had already been established.

"It is important you know from the outset that the defendant admits that he is the person who set both Mr Odowa and Mr Rayaz on fire," he said.

Mr de la Poer described how Mr Odowa had been set on fire as he made his way to a neighbour's car outside West Ealing Islamic Centre in West London in February.

An attack was made on Mr Rayaz in March after evening prayers at Dudley Road Mosque in Birmingham.

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

The court heard the defendant had attended prayers in Ealing with Mr Odowa before following him outside.

"There followed a conversation during which the defendant insisted that Mr Odowa knew him - Mr Odowa told the defendant that he did not," Mr de la Poer told the court.

"The fact that Mr Odowa did not recognise the defendant appears to have provoked the defendant into action.

"He then sprayed Mr Odowa with a pale-coloured liquid, aiming for his head," he said, describing how the defendant had struck a lighter and used it to ignite the petrol.

Addressing the attack on Mr Rayaz, the Crown's barrister said Mr Abbkr had once again followed after prayers before spraying petrol and setting it alight.

As the initial flare began to diminish, the defendant threw more petrol from his bottle on to the flames and they "grew in size and intensity once again", the court heard.

Mr Odowa escaped serious injury as he was able to remove his burning jacket and vest.

CCTV footage of both incidents was shown to the court, including audio capturing Mr Rayaz's shouts of pain.

CCTV showed Mr Rayaz was "engulfed in a ball of flame which subsequently subsided to reveal that he was on fire from head to foot", said Mr de la Poer.

"Within seconds of the first fireball dissipating, the CCTV records the defendant throwing more petrol on to the flames which were covering Mr Rayaz. This caused a second fireball to engulf him," he explained.

Mr Rayaz suffered serious burn injuries and was treated in hospital for a number of weeks.

Jurors were told they would hear evidence from three psychiatrists and may have to consider a defence of insanity.

Jurors heard that one psychiatrist judged Mr Abbkr to have paranoid schizophrenia, with the defendant claiming those he attacked were not human and therefore not expected to be hurt by fire.

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

The trial continues.