Man 'set worshipper on fire as he left mosque and told him you will know me'

23 October 2023 , 20:56

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Mohammed Abbkr appears in the dock charged with attempted murder (Image: PA)

A young man set fire to an elderly worshipper as he left prayer evenings at a mosque and said: "I swear in the name of Allah, in the name of God, you will know me," a court heard.

Mohammed Abbkr, 29, stands accused of dousing two pensioners in petrol and setting them alight in separate incidents a month apart in London and Birmingham respectively. A court heard today he attacked Hashi Odowa, 82, outside West Ealing Islamic Centre in London on February 27 and Mohammed Rayaz, 70, as he left Dudley Road Mosque in Summerfield, Birmingham on March 20.

Abbkr, who has denied two charges of attempted murder and two alternative counts of administering a destructive thing so as to endanger life, allegedly told the first victim - Mr Odowa - "I swear in the name of Allah, in the name of God, you will know me" and then it is said he sprayed him with a pale-coloured liquid aiming for his head.

Abbkr is accused of injuring the two pensioners earlier this year (Helen Tipper / SWNS)

Mohammed Rayaz suffered severe injuries after he was set on fire in Birmingham (Family Handout / SWNS)

Opening the case at Birmingham Crown Court today, Nicholas de la Poer KC stated it was not in dispute that Abbkr was the man who set them on fire. He said the Sudanese national would be relying on the legal defence of insanity after a number of psychiatrists had diagnosed him with paranoid schizophrenia, reports Birmingham Live.

Starting with the first incident in time he told the jury that Mr Odowa was walking to his neighbour Fahad Khan's car to be driven home when Abbkr approached. He said: "The defendant Mohammed Abbkr, also attended evening prayers that night at West Ealing Islamic Centre.

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"He followed Mr Odowa from the entrance door of the centre catching up with him as Mr Odowa made his way to Mr Khan's car. There followed a conversation during which the defendant insisted Mr Odowa knew him. Mr Odowa told the defendant he didn't.

"Once they reached the vehicle Mr Khan, who had been waiting for Mr Odowa in the driver's seat, asked the defendant to leave Mr Odowa alone. The defendant told Mr Khan to go away.

"The fact Mr Odowa didn't recognise the defendant appears to have provoked the defendant into action. The defendant said this: 'I swear in the name of Allah, in the name of God, you will know me.' He then sprayed Mr Odowa with a pale-coloured liquid aiming for his head. The defendant had brought the liquid with him to the mosque that evening in a clear plastic water bottle with a green sports cap. The liquid was petrol.

"The defendant drew out a lighter. He struck the lighter, held it to Mr Odowa's neck and ignited the petrol. Shortly after setting Mr Odowa on fire the defendant walked away."

Police investigate after the incident near the mosque in Summerfield, Birmingham (SWNS)

The court heard that three weeks later Abbkr had been sitting near to Mr Rayaz at Dudley Road Mosque on March 20. The prosecutor stated it was 'plain' he followed him out before catching up with him on Shenstone Road where he asked if he spoke Arabic and stood in front him.

Mr de la Poer said: "The two men came to a halt in the street with the defendant continuing to try to speak to Mr Rayaz just as Mr Rayaz clearly wanted to bring the encounter to an end. The defendant then sprayed Mr Rayaz with petrol from the bottle. Using a lighter the defendant set fire to the petrol. Mr Rayaz was ignited in flames.

"As the initial flare of fire began to diminish the defendant threw more petrol from his bottle onto the flames and they grew in size and intensity once again. The defendant stood in the street for a short time watching Mr Rayaz burn before walking away gesturing towards Mr Rayaz as he did so."

Mr Odowa was 'exceptionally lucky' only to sustain minor burn injuries to his ear and hand, partly because he took off his burning vest and jacket while his friend helped smother the flames and removed his burning hat. But Mr Rayaz was 'less fortunate' and suffered serious burn injuries, particularly to his head, the court was told.

CCTV of both attacks was played to the court including footage which captured the sound of Mr Rayaz screaming after being set alight. Plain clothes officers recognised Abbkr on Gillot Road the next day and followed him as he walked back to the mosque where they arrested him. The rucksack, lighter and water bottle were recovered from his address.

The court heard that Abbkr largely answered "no comment" in his police interview but went on to tell a psychiatrist that 'those who he attacked were two of a number who were controlling him through magic', adding they had 'supernatural qualities'.

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The defendant also denied intending to kill both victims and claimed he only wanted to scare them, the jury was told. He allegedly described them as "half human, half devil".

One expert concluded Abbkr was 'suffering from a defect of reasoning in the form of persecutory delusional beliefs in the context of symptoms such as thought interference and hallucinations, consistent with a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, a recognised mental disorder'.

Mr de la Poer said: "The defence's case is that it is more likely than not that the defendant meets the criteria for the defence of insanity. The prosecution does not agree."

Carl Jackson