Salford man admits damaging Manchester Arena memorial
24-year-old Anwar Hosseni caused £10,000 worth of damage to the Glade of Light
A man has admitted vandalising the Manchester Arena memorial.
Anwar Hosseni, 24, caused £10,000 worth of criminal damage to The Glade Of Light, a white marble "halo" bearing the names of all 22 people murdered in the May 2017 attack.
On Wednesday, he was told the case is too serious to be dealt with at Manchester Magistrates' Court as it was sent to the city's crown court.
The offence took place on February 9, just weeks after the memorial, located between Manchester Cathedral and Chetham's School of Music, was opened to the public.
District Judge Mark Hadfield told the defendant:
"The amount of damage means it is far too serious a case to be dealt with in the magistrates' court."
Hosseni, of Twillbrook Drive, Salford, will next appear at Manchester Crown Court on May 4.
The defendant was given bail on condition of residence and that he does not go within a specified area around the memorial.
An official opening event for the memorial is planned ahead of the fifth anniversary of the attack committed by suicide bomber Salman Abedi, 22, at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.
The tribute is conceived as a living memorial - a peaceful garden space for remembrance and reflection, featuring plants which grow naturally in the UK countryside and have been selected to provide year-round colour and echo the changing seasons.
Around the anniversary every year, May 22, the white flowers of a hawthorn tree planted at its centre will bloom.