Overview

• At Preston Crown Court, prosecutors outlined allegations that Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, planned a mass-casualty shooting targeting Jewish people in Greater Manchester; all three defendants plead not guilty, including Bilel Saadaoui, 36, who is accused of failing to disclose information.
• Jurors were shown police footage of Saadaoui fleeing a Bolton hotel car park on May 8, 2024, where officers say they found two assault rifles, a semi-automatic pistol and almost 200 rounds in a car.
• The Crown said the men aimed to identify a mass gathering of Jewish people to attack and intended to kill any police officers who got in their way.
• Prosecutors told the jury the pair believed they were coordinating with a man called “Farouk” who was in fact an undercover operative whose communications exposed the plans.
• The court heard more weapons were expected, taking the cache to up to six firearms with roughly 700–900 rounds; the judge instructed jurors that a recent Manchester synagogue attack is unrelated, and the trial is scheduled to last up to 12 weeks.