Bristol student pursued 'relentless study in extremism'
The former Bristol Cathedral School pupil attended City of Bristol College, on College Green, but spent much of his time trawling the internet for websites which included everything from radical cleric Abu Hamza to disturbing videos of insurgents shooting and blowing up US soldiers in Iraq and bomb-making, Winchester Crown Court was told.
It is claimed Ibrahim, aged 20, became indoctrinated in the mantra of hate being perpetuated by Muslim extremists and wanted to follow in the footsteps of the 9/11 and 7/7 suicide bombers.
After acquiring the necessary goods to make his own explosive device, as well as suicide vest, it is alleged he had cased out The Galleries in Broadmead as his target.
The Crown say he was stopped in his tracks when police raided his council flat at Comb Paddock in Westbury-on-Trym, when an explosive device found in a biscuit tin in his fridge was destroyed in a controlled explosion by the bomb squad.
Ibrahim denies making an explosive substance with intent, in that he made the explosive hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD) with the intention to endanger life or cause serious injury to property in the UK.
He also denies the preparation of terrorism acts, in that he researched the manufacture of explosives, bought materials to make them, made them and also bought materials to detonate them – as well as identifying a place to do so.
He has pleaded guilty to simply making an explosive substance.
As with every day of the trial thus far, Ibrahim listened intently from the dock as his mother, father and brother observed proceedings in court one directly above him in the public gallery.
Witness Matthew Newman-Martin told the jury that in July last year he was working at Game Station in Broadmead and knew Ibrahim as a regular customer.
He said that on March 13 Ibrahim came into the shop and as opposed to his normal street wear was wearing clothes of a more "religious appearance", as well as having a beard.
Mr Newman-Martin told the jury Ibrahim spent £169.99 on a second-hand X-Box 360 and two games including Assasin's Creed, a role game revolving around an assassin.
The prosecution read a statement from Rhianna Fadden, a fellow student of Ibrahim at City of Bristol College.
She said when she first met Ibrahim he wore "Chav" clothes of hoddies and jeans, had a girlfriend and smoked cannabis.
She said that by January 2008 Ibrahim very suddenly changed to wearing traditional Muslim clothes and grew a beard.
Miss Fadden said: "He moaned about no mosques being near college as his mosque was in a different area.
"During January I was walking between lessons and Isa had A4 papers he had printed from the internet; there were instructions on how to make a bomb and instructions on the ingredients needed. I thought he was just messing about."
The jury was shown a plethora of internet websites accessed by Ibrahim.
They included disturbing video footage of soldiers in Iraq being shot and blown up, as well as sites based on the 9/11 and 7/7 bombings, Osama bin Laden, shoe bomber Richard Reid and even aeroplane tickets to Bosnia and Iraq and a holiday guide to Iraq.
Other sites viewed gave detailed instructions on how to make explosives from household items such as bleach and nail varnish remover.
The jury was read a statement from Andrew Osmond, Ibrahim's personal college tutor, who said that initially Ibrahim had good college attendance and turned up regularly for tutorials.
He said that in September, 2007, Ibrahim wore "Ali G" clothes of tracksuits and bling, but he changed to "Muslim-type" clothing and grew a full beard.
Mr Osmond said: "In February 2008 he showed interest in going to university to study Islamic studies and was particularly interested in going to Syria.
"I said a person doing this should be able to speak Arabic and be stated he could get tuition from his father who was Egyptian."
The court heard Ibrahim began to be late for classes and blamed his delay on going to prayers.
Mr Osmond described Ibrahim as chatty and destructive in class and viewed him as "rather superficial".
The court heard that Ibrahim was absent from his studies from March 12 to April 2 last year, and when he reappeared he said he had got poor exam results, he had questioned his motivation and had also been ill.
Mr Osmond said that in February 2008 Ibrahim had expressed an interest in studying Islam.
The case continues.
