Manchester Arena bomber's brother Hashem Abedi admits involvement

Top row (left to right): Alison Howe, Martyn Hett, Lisa Lees, Courtney Boyle, Eilidh MacLeod, Elaine McIver, Georgina Callander, Jane Tweddle - Middle row (left to right): John Atkinson, Kelly Brewster, Liam Curry, Chloe Rutherford, Marcin Klis, Angelika Klis, Megan Hurley, Michelle Kiss - Bottom row (left to right): Nell Jones, Olivia Campbell-Hardy, Philip Tron, Saffie-Rose Roussos, Sorrell Leczkowski, Wendy Fawell

The brother of the Manchester Arena bomber has admitted his involvement in planning the attack for the first time.

Hashem Abedi, 23, was jailed for murdering the 22 people who were killed in the bombing at the end of an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017.

During his trial, he denied helping his brother Salman, 22, plan the attack that also left hundreds more injured.

But a public inquiry into the bombing heard Hashem Abedi had made the admission in prison in October.

During an interview with inquiry lawyers, he admitted he had "played a full part and a knowing part in the planning and preparation for the arena attack", in which his brother also died, the inquiry heard.

Figen Murray, whose son Martyn, 29, was killed in the bombing, said "it would have been more bearable for all of us if he told the truth" during the trial.

"We wanted to put that chapter behind us but focus our energies on the inquiry, which continues to be a gruelling and long process," she added.

Abedi's admission was confirmed to the inquiry by Det Ch Supt Simon Barraclough, from Greater Manchester Police, who was the senior investigating officer on the case.

• What is the Manchester Arena inquiry?

Paul Greaney QC, counsel to the inquiry, said to him: "You are aware, on 22 October this year, in prison serving his sentence, Hashem Abedi was interviewed by members of the inquiry legal team?"

Mr Barraclough told the inquiry he knew of the admission during the interview and agreed it was a "fair summary" to say 23-year-old Abedi admitted he had played "a full part and a knowing part".

Hashem Abedi is serving a minimum prison term of 55 years

The detective added that there was "no doubt in my mind" that the prosecution of Abedi was "entirely well founded".

Mr Greaney said: "So the point you are making is that it didn't need him to tell you that you had got it right?"

Mr Barraclough responded: "I think we had got there with the trial."

No further details of the prison interview were provided.

The court heard how the brothers spent months ordering, stockpiling and transporting the materials required for the attack.

They joined their parents in Libya the month before the blast, but Salman Abedi returned to the UK on 18 May.

He bought the final components needed for the bomb before carrying out the attack as fans left the arena on the evening of 22 May 2017.

Salman Abedi in the foyer of the Manchester Arena, seconds before he blew himself up

Abedi was arrested shortly afterwards and extradited to Britain.

He did not give evidence during his trial, providing only a statement in which he denied 22 counts of murder, attempted murder and plotting to cause an explosion likely to endanger life.

Abedi originally claimed he did not hold extremist views and had been "shocked" by what his brother had done.

"Had I any idea of it I would have reported it to my mother initially and then to other family members to prevent it from happening," he said in his statement.

But Abedi, formerly of Fallowfield, Manchester, was convicted by a jury at the Old Bailey and jailed for life in August with a minimum term of 55 years.

Twenty-two people were killed and hundreds more injured in the explosion

A forensic link to Ismail Abedi, the elder brother of Salman and Hashem Abedi, was found in a car that was used to store explosives prior to the attack, the inquiry also heard.

The Nissan Micra was bought by Salman and Hashem Abedi about 40 hours before they flew to Libya with their parents in April 2017.

When Salman Abedi arrived back in the UK on 18 May 2017, he went straight to the car and returned the following morning to collect explosives from the vehicle, the inquiry heard.

It was previously revealed that Ramadan Abedi, father of Salman and Hashem Abedi, is wanted for questioning after his fingerprints were found inside the Micra.

During evidence by Mr Barraclough, the link to Ismail Abedi emerged.

Mr Barraclough agreed when questioned by Nicholas de la Poer QC, counsel to the inquiry, that "the fingerprints and/or DNA of Ismail Abedi and Ramadan Abedi, brother and father respectively, [had been] discovered".

The BBC recently sought to question Ismail Abedi about his refusal to assist the inquiry, which has heard he is citing a claimed privilege against self-incrimination.

The Manchester Arena inquiry, which is being chaired by Sir John Saunders, started in September and is expected to last until the spring.

It aims to explore the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the attack and whether it could have been prevented.

The inquiry is being held at Manchester Magistrates' Court, less than a mile away from where the bombing happened.