Ex-Manchester United steward ‘did not suspect a known sympathiser of the so-called Islamic State had bludgeoned to death an imam just moments after he left his car’
- Mohammed Hussain Syeedy, 21, is accused of being getaway driver
- Prosecutors say he helped Mohammed Kadir, who may have fled to Syria, kill Jalal Uddin, 71
- Mr Uddin was killed in a children's play area in Rochdale in February
- The imam had used a form of healing called taweez, which ISIS considers 'black magic'
Mohammed Hussain Syeedy is accused of playing a key role in the killing of the imam
A former Manchester United steward told a jury he did not suspect a known ISIS sympathiser had bludgeoned an imam to death just moments after he left his car.
Mohammed Hussain Syeedy, 21, is accused of being a getaway driver for Mohammed Kadir, 24, in the murder of 71-year-old Jalal Uddin in a children's play area in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, on February 18.
Both men are said to have targeted Mr Uddin because he used a form of healing involving amulets, known as taweez, which IS consider 'black magic' and punishable by death.
Syeedy admits he and Kadir had been following the Bangladeshi national in his car on the night of the murder.
However he claims his associate wanted to dupe Mr Uddin into giving him a taweez book so they could present it to the rest of the community and argue it was dangerous.
The pair spotted Mr Uddin after he earlier visited his local mosque for evening prayers.
Mohammed Hussain Syeedy (left) is accused of being the getaway driver following the killing of imam Jalal Uddin
Former John Lewis department store call centre worker Kadir, of Oldham, got out of the car and followed him into a nearby park, Manchester Crown Court heard.
According to Syeedy, Kadir returned barely 90 seconds later 'acting normal' and explained to him he did not approach Mr Uddin as two men were nearby.
Cross-examining, Paul Greaney QC asked Syeedy: 'You know he intended at the very least to have a conversation with Jalal Uddin and you knew that Kadir was an ISIS sympathiser.
Jalal Uddin, 71, was killed in a children's play area in Rochdale, Greater Manchester
'But it didn't occur to you that Kadir might have had something to do with this?'
Syeedy replied: 'No, not at all. I have not known Kadir to be violent.
'I knew he had those ISIS views but all the time I knew him he never expressed any views to me personally.'
Syeedy met Kadir face to face in Oldham in the early hours of the following day after he said he heard various rumours in the community about what had happened to Mr Uddin.
He said the aim of the journey was to persuade Kadir to help the police with their inquiries.
Mr Greaney suggested otherwise and put it to him: 'You were discussing how to get away with the murder the two of you had carried out.'
Syeedy said: 'Of course not ... my head would have fallen off. I have never been in trouble before, I have never laid a finger on anyone.'
Mr Greaney said: 'You didn't lay a finger because your job was to drop him (Kadir) off and and you knew what he was going to do.'
The defendant said: 'I knew he was going to get a taweez.'
Mr Greaney said: 'Kadir is a sympathiser of Isis and they hate magicians. He follows Jalal Uddin into the park, Jalal Uddin was killed in that park, he leaves Rochdale straightaway.
'He is saying to you "I am not telling anything to the police" and "don't say anything to anyone". At that stage were you not suspicious?'
Syeedy said: 'No, it didn't occur to me.'
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