A MUSLIM terrorist suspect accused of planning to attack a target in Britain grew up as an Ali G-type character who wanted to become a model, the Old Bailey was told yesterday.
Anthony Garcia, 24, failed his GCSEs and was obsessed with rap music, girls and playing basketball. He only started going to Islamic meetings because they served good food.
But he began raising funds for muslims in Kashmir after being shown a video of atrocities when he joined the Islamic society at his further education college. Having collected tens of thousands of pounds from friends, families and mosques, Mr Garcia then became obsessed with the idea of attending a military training camp in Pakistan and obtained an £8,500 loan to do so, which he had no intention of repaying.
Yesterday he admitted buying more than half a tonne of fertiliser, but told the court that the intention was to ship it to Pakistan.
The prosecution claims that Mr Garcia and six others conspired to cause an explosion at a British location using a bomb made from fertiliser and aluminium powder. Possible targets included the Bluewater shopping centre in Kent and the Ministry of Sound nightclub in South London.
In his first day in the witness box, Mr Garcia, from Ilford, East London, said that he had been asked to buy the fertiliser by another defendant, Omar Khyam. All seven men deny all charges. The trial continues.
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