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Man in Cardiff counter-terror raid told police he would 'cut your head off and machine gun the lot of you', court told

Author: Ian Caleb
Publication: Walesonline.co.uk
Date: January 22, 2012
URL: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/01/22/man-in-cardiff-counter-terror-raid-told-police-he-would-cut-your-head-off-and-machine-gun-the-lot-of-you-court-told-91466-30172696/

A MAN arrested in a police counter-terrorism operation told an officer he would “cut your head off and machine gun the lot of you”, a court has heard.

Mohammed Abdin, 21, will be sentenced in Cardiff Crown Court next month after admitting throwing furniture and threatening officers when they stormed a meeting in Canton Community Centre, Cardiff, on Thursday.

But despite the sting being prompted by concerns the group were associated with outlawed organisation Muslims Against Crusades, Abdin’s solicitor Derek Gooden argued that a peaceful community group had been wrongfully broken up because of unsubstantiated fears.

Mani Ranauta, prosecuting, told Cardiff magistrates’ court yesterday how Abdin, of Clare Road, Grangetown, Cardiff, already had a four-month suspended sentence for affray he had committed during a protest about 9/11 last year.

“At Canton Community Centre on Thursday, January 19, at 8.10pm, officers arrived with the intent to issue a dispersal order to the group, fearing there was going to be a breach of the peace,” she said.

“When they entered, they were immediately met with hostility.

“Out of the 25 in attendance, 12 were aggressive individuals, with tables and chairs being upturned and thrown in the direction of officers.

“The defendant lunged at the officers several times, in an attempt to grab the camera they were filming with.

“Attempts were made to calm the group down, but the defendant continued, shouting “I’m going to cut your head off and machine gun the lot of you” and specifically pointing at officers saying “I’ve seen your face.”

The court heard that when cautioned, Abdin told an officer: “F*** off you white ****.”

In response, Derek Gooden, defending, said the “flowery words” Abdin had used were prompted by what they believed to be an unwarranted police invasion.

Adding that emotions had clearly been running high as a result of the intrusion, Mr Gooden said: “A number of individuals gathered at a community centre to discuss their religion. There is nothing to suggest there is a link to terrorism, as the local press has indicated.

“Those 25 individuals mentioned included women and children and this was nothing more than a meeting of Muslims to discuss the Qur’an.

“Jewish people were welcome, Catholic people were welcome, Protestant people were welcome, because all they are doing is discussing the Qur’an.”

Referring to the previous count of affray, Mr Gooden said Abdin and a number of individuals were lawfully demonstrating and airing their views, when a larger group of people from the English Defence Front had begun to make their presence felt.

Abdin had then used force to prevent a colleague from being hurt, he said.

“Mr Abdin has not been charged with being part of an extremist organisation. He wasn’t a part of the group for the previous incident, he was merely protesting with them, and there is nothing to suggest otherwise,” he said.

“This was no more than a lawful assembly in a community centre. I hope we are not living in a day where it is unlawful to discuss religion or politics, however distasteful we find the discussion, and have the fear of that being broken up.”
 
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