Hamza jury warned to ignore media coverage

The jury trying Muslim cleric Abu Hamza on race hate charges – including soliciting murder – were warned by the judge today to ignore what they had read or heard about him in the media.

“This man is someone who has been the object of a fair amount of press coverage – much of it critical,” said Mr Justice Hughes.

“You are not interested in what anyone has accurately or inaccurately said about him in the past.”

He told the seven-man, five-woman jury to concentrate only on the evidence they heard in court.

He also warned jurors not to “go hunting on the internet” for material.

His remarks were made before prosecutor David Perry began to open the case against Hamza.

Mr Perry said Hamza had a number of aliases. He was known as Mustafa Kamel Mustafa, Abu Hamza and Abu Hamza Al Masri.

“There is nothing sinister or improper about that, but I will call him either Sheik or Mr Hamza.”

He explained Sheik was an Arab title used for a man considered as a leader in the Muslim community.

Hamza, 47, from west London, faces nine charges under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 alleging he solicited others at public meetings to murder Jews and other non-Muslims.

He also faces four charges under the Public Order Act 1986 of “using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with the intention of stirring up racial hatred”.

A further charge alleges Hamza was in possession of video and audio recordings, which he intended to distribute to stir up racial hatred.

The final charge under section 58 of the Terrorism Act accuses him of possession of a document, the Encyclopaedia of the Afghani Jihad, which contained information “of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism”.

He denies the charges. The offences are alleged to have been committed before May 2004.

Jurors were sworn in on Monday and today’s proceedings were delayed after one had to be replaced.

Hamza, who has no hands and only one eye, sat flanked by three dock officers.

The bearded, bespectacled preacher wore a light blue shirt and trousers. His grey hair was closely cut.