Terror Charge Trial Of Aberdeen Man
A counter terrorism police officer has told a court that an Al Qaeda training manual was found on an external hard drive seized from a medical student's flat.
DC Mark White, a member of Police Scotland's organised crime and counter terrorism team, was giving evidence at the trial of Yousif Badri, 29, who denies three charges under the Terrorism Act.
The jury at the High Court in Glasgow was shown a manual running into dozens of pages.
Advocate depute Richard Goddard, prosecuting asked DC White: "What is this," and he replied: "A manual created by Al Qaeda. This appears to be a scanned copy which has been translated into English."
The court was shown the document which refers to Jihad and explains how to shoot weapons including automatic pistols and Kalashnikovs and how to avoid detection and prepare false documents.
Mr Goddard said: "The manual moves to the topic of explosives," and the police officer replied: "Yes."
The prosecutor went on: "There is a reference to car bombs," and again DC White replied: "Yes."
Mr Goddard then said: "There is information about how to prepare ricin. There is a recipe for extracting ricin," and DC White said: "Yes."
The prosecutor then said: "Was there much about religion or politics," and the police officer replied: "It is basically a manual if you want to kill somebody or blow something up and how to avoid detection."
The jury was also shown photographs found on a memory stick taken from the flat. One of them showed a man with his face partially covered with red and white scarf and holding an assault rifle.
DC White was asked if the photograph ressembled anyone and he replied: "I believe it resembles Mr Badri."
Earlier DC Gillian Essen told the court that she and colleagues searched Badri's flat on Ashgrove Road, Aberdeen, on June 6, 2013.
She said that she was at the time a member of a specialist search team and added: "We did joint training with the Army searching for bombs and bomb parts."
The court heard that among the items seized by the police during the search was a jar of nails, an external hard drive, a memory stick and three books in Arabic.
DC Essen told the court that the tub of nails was found in a cupboard in a desk.
Mr Goddard asked her: "In the course of your search did you find a hammer," and she replied she had not.
Under cross-examination Murdo Macleod QC asked DC Essen: "Did you find any pipes," and she said: "No."
Mr McLeod then asked: "Did you find any fertiliser, detonators, explosive fuses, or timers," and she replied: "No."
Badri faces a number of allegations including an accusation he was involved in conduct "with the intention of committing acts of terrorism".
The offences are said to have been carried out at two places in Aberdeen -Badri's former flat in Ashgrove Road and in Berryden Retail Park.
Badri's current address in Halifax, West Yorkshire, also features in the alleged offences.
Prosecutors claim that between 2007 and 2013 Badri collected or made a record of information likely to be useful to a person "committing or preparing an act of terrorism".
This allegedly included footage of terror attacks as well as instructions on "urban assassinations" and "guerrilla tactics".
The second charge alleges that Badri "with the intention of committing acts of terrorism" engaged in various actions between 2006 and 2013.
Accusations listed in the indictment include a claim he had an "equipment list" for attending a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan.
He is also said to have possessed "advice for those involved in conducting terrorist attack planning operations".
The charge further states that he had documents, recordings and files containing "extreme ideology".
The final accusation claims that on April 16 last year Badri posted on Twitter the phrase: "Whoever feels safe from punishment, misbehaves".
The comment is said to have come from a copy of the Inspire magazine - described as being published by the "propaganda wing" of Al-Qaeda.
Badri denies all the charges against him.
The trial before judge Lord Turnbull continues.