A jury is now considering its verdict on a Coventry PhD student who has been accused of attempting to make a "kamikaze" drone for use by terrorists. It was heard at Birmingham Crown Court that Mohamad Al Bared, aged 27, was allegedly "fascinated" by so-called Islamic State because he wanted to argue against the terror group's views.
Al Bared of Kare Road denies being a supporter of Islamic State or its aims, having told jurors he had no plans to assist it in any way and that he made a drone for his own research purposes, a court heard.
Prosecutors allege the mechanical engineering graduate intended to supply terrorists with a "single-use" video-transmitting drone to carry a bomb or chemical weapon.
The University of Birmingham PhD student denies a charge alleging he engaged in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts to benefit a proscribed terrorist organisation between January 1, 2022 and January 31 this year.
Sending the jury out to deliberate earlier today (Wednesday, September 27) after it had heard around a month of evidence, Judge Paul Farrer KC told the panel members: "It is your turn now and you must take such time as you need in order to reach a verdict.
"That may be a short time, it may be a long time. Whatever time it takes, you are under absolutely no pressure of time." Jurors spent four hours this afternoon deliberating their verdict before being sent home until 10am tomorrow morning ( Thursday, September 28).
Sign up to our daily newsletter here for all the latest Coventry news
