Accused terrorist is ‘unwell’
A terrorist who raised funds for ‘fighter brothers’ in Iraq is unable to attend court because he is ‘unwell’, the Old Bailey heard.
Ayub Nurhussein, 29, expressed his desire to travel to Iraq to join ISIS and arranged three payments totalling £2,699.19 to send to fanatics.
Nurhussein, who was convicted of armed robbery in 2012, has admitted seven counts relating to terrorism, including possessing propaganda and documents useful to a person ‘who wanted to commit a terrorist atrocity.’
Four days into his trial he admitted funding terrorism after earlier denying the charge.
Eritrean-born Nurhussein appeared at the Old Bailey via video-link from prison claiming he felt unwell.
Judge Rebecca Poulet QC remanded him into custody until 24 March and said he should not be ‘having contact’ with others.
Nurhussein disputes some of the prosecution allegations and wants to give evidence before he is sentenced.
Judge Poulet said: ‘He shouldn’t be out and having contact if there are any symptoms that someone at prison is able to confirm to the court.
‘For him to give this evidence over the link is not viable let alone whether it’s permissible.’
The judge told Nurhussein: ‘We’re not going to proceed because for you to give your evidence, that can’t take place today.
‘You’re, not here and you’re not well, you say. On Tuesday of next week I’m going to have the matter revisited.’
Prosecutor Alistair Richardson told the court Nurhussein supported ISIS vocally and financially.
‘He, along with his friend Said Mohammed, holds radical beliefs and supports Islamic State.
‘He, together with Said Mohammed, arranged for the provision of and provided funds for his mujahideen – or fighter brothers – who remained in Iraq fighting for that organisation.
‘The provision of money was a practical illustration of his support for that organisation, as was his expressed desire to travel to join to group that calls itself Islamic State. There are three transactions.’
Nurhussein and Mohammed, 30, also exchanged texts on encrypted messaging platforms Telegram and Whatsapp while living in the UK criticising British mosques.
Mohammed sent Nurhussein a message on on 1 June last year read: ‘All the mosques here fight god and his messenger.’
Hurhussein came to the UK in 2008 from war-torn Eritrea and after a spell in Swansea, he moved to London.
He was jailed for three and a half years in June 2012 at the Old Bailey for robbing City worker John Bowman at gunpoint near the Barbican Centre.
Sentencing him for robbery back in 2012, the judge, Mr Recorder Oliver Sells QC, had recommended his deportation but he remained in the UK.
Nurhussein, from southwest London, has admitted entering into a funding arrangement providing funds for the purposes of supporting terrorism, four counts of possession of a document or record containing information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, and three counts of dissemination of terrorist publications.
Mohammed, of Longsight, Manchester, has admitted arranging funds or property for the purposes of terrorism
Nurhussein will return for a further hearing at the Old Bailey on 24 March.
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