Brother of Manchester bomber Salman Abedi was a ‘clumsy druggie nicknamed “Goofy”‘

THE BROTHER of Manchester suicide bomber Salman Abedi was a dishonest drug user nicknamed ‘Goofy’ because of his dopey demeanour, the Old Bailey heard yesterday.

Hashem Abedi, 22, drank alcohol, took ecstasy, and specialised in rolling big spliffs, jurors were told.

His defence counsel said Hashem had been scared of older brother Salman, with whom he is accused of conspiring to carry out the May 2017 atrocity at the Manchester Arena in which 22 innocent people died.

Stephen Kamlish QC, defending, told the court that Hashem hid his drug taking from Salman, who had hit him "a few times."
The court also heard that Hashem became the victim of a hammer attack after being caught up in a gang war.

Hashem worked in a takeaway in Stockport, Greater Manchester, from where he is alleged to have sourced metal cans he cut up to make improvised detonators for his brother’s bomb.

The owner of the takeaway, who cannot to be named, gave a statement to police after the attack.

He said Hashem Abedi was religious, but added: "In my view he had the wrong idea about religion - he would smoke weed and did not appear honest."

SCARED OF 'BIG BROTHER'

He explained that on one occasion he heard £5 an hour Abedi asking other members of staff if he could take cash payments.

"When I asked him why, he said he would tell customers he had no change to keep it for himself,’’ said the take away boss.

The businessman’s nephew, who also worked at his uncle’s take away, told the jury how he and Hashem smoked cannabis together.

Hashem also liked to take other drugs as well, including the tranquilizer Tramadol and the party drugs ecstasy and MDMA, as well as drinking alcohol, his lawyer Mr Kamlish said.

Jurors heard the take away owner’s nephew drove a BMW nicknamed the "hotbox" because he and Hashem would drive it to a park and as they smoked cannabis, the car would fill up with smoke.

In January 2017, the worker and others bought a 1/4oz of cannabis from a drug dealer whose name began with L, and went to Deansgate in central Manchester to smoke it.

'HE WAS CLUMSY, LIKE GOOFY'

"Sometimes you and he (Abedi) would make an extra large spliff?" Mr Kamlish asked. "Yes, that was his speciality," the nephew said.

The court heard that Hashem would not go home while stoned because he was scared of Salman, who he called ‘Big Brother.’

The take away owner’s nephew told police that Hashem was a "little bit here and there" as a Muslim and he would complain about his brother making him go to the mosque.

";He complained about his brother making him do a lot of things, he just wanted to chill," the witness said.

Hashem Abedi was nicknamed "Goofy" after the dopey Disney cartoon character, the court heard.

"He was clumsy, a little stupid, and like Goofy," the witness told police.

The court heard how Hashem also got caught up in a fight in Moss Side and Rushholme which ended with the colleagues' younger brother being stabbed in the chest.

In the same fight, Hashem Abedi was allegedly hit in the face with a hammer.

Hashem Abedi denies 22 counts of murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to cause explosions.

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