55 YEARS IN JAIL FOR BOMBER’S BROTHER
● HIS SENTENCE WILL NEVER COMPARE TO THE SENTENCE WE HAVE, SAY GRIEVING FAMILIES ● ARENA ATTACK INVESTIGATION IS STILL ‘LIVE’, POLICE REVEAL
THE brother of Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 55 years.
Hashem Abedi, 23, was handed the huge jail term after being found guilty of helping his brother Salman commit the Isis-inspired atrocity following a seven-week trial.
A jury found Abedi guilty on 22 counts of murder; one count of attempted murder concerning those who were injured but survived the blast; and conspiring with his brother to cause an explosion.
Salman Abedi, 22 at the time of the atrocity on May 22, 2017, died in the attack.
There were gasps in court as Mr Justice Jeremy Baker, precluded from sentencing Abedi to a whole-life term, instead jailed him for life on each of the 22 counts of murder, with a minimum of 55 years before parole.
Cowardly Abedi refused to come into the courtroom during the two-day sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey in London.
Mr Justice Baker said: “If the defendant, like his brother, had been 21 or over at the time of the offence, the appropriate starting point would have been a whole life order.”
He added: “The defendant should clearly understand the minimum term he should serve is 55 years. He may never be released.”
He ordered a copy of his sentencing remarks to be served on Abedi in his cell.
Mr Justice Baker said: “The defendant and his brother were equally culpable for the deaths and injuries caused by the explosion.
“The stark reality is, these were atrocious crimes.
“Large in scale, deadly in intent, appalling in their consequences.
“The despair and desolation of the bereaved families has been palpable.”
It is thought the 55 years Abedi must serve is among the highest minimum term sentences ever handed out by a court in Britain.
He will be in his 70s before he can be considered for parole.
Hashem Abedi was 2,000 miles away in Libya at the time his brother detonated a bomb in his backpack in the foyer of Manchester Arena as mainly young concert-goers were leaving an Ariana Grande pop concert.
As well as the 22 killed, hundreds were injured, and 92 were left with life-long injuries.
The trial heard Hashem Abedi had encouraged his brother and helped him design the devastating bomb as well as source shrapnel and chemicals to make deadly TATP explosive.
The Manchester-born siblings, from Fallowfield, began organising their terror attack five months before the bombing.
They manufactured the explosive at a 12th floor apartment in Blackley.
Hashem Abedi was arrested in Libya shortly after the bombing but British counter-terrorism officers spent years negotiating his release.
Abedi was finally extradited and flown to the UK last July.