A Muslim convert has appeared in court accused of building a home-made nail bomb and trying to blow himself up in a family restaurant in Exeter, Devon.
Nicky Reilly, 22, from Plymouth appeared with cuts to his face and with his hands and arms heavily bandaged after the bomb went off by accident in a cubicle at the Giraffe restaurant in the Princesshay shopping centre. Dressed in a black t-shirt, he spoke only to give his name as Mohamed Abdulaziz Rashid Saeed-Alim, a name which he adopted a year ago following his conversion five years ago. Tall, with spiky hair and clean shaven, Mr Reilly's eyes darted around the courtroom at Westminster Magistrates Court in London as the charges against him were read out.
| Mr Reilly, was arrested while in hospital, and police found a typed note at the flat he shares with his mother in King Street, Plymouth. |
The court heard Mr Reilly had "engaged in research on making an improvised explosive device, acquired components for making an improvised explosive device" and made more than one device using sodium hydroxide in the form of caustic soda, paraffin and aluminium foil, along with nails, which he had put in glass soft drink bottles. The court was told he "took the assembled explosive devices to the Giraffe restaurant in Exeter, Devon, and set about detonating one or more of the devices intending to cause an explosion in the public dining area of the restaurant with the intention of causing your violent death with others."
Mr Reilly, who has Asperger's Syndrome, faces charges relating to the attack two weeks ago that he engaged in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts under the Terrorism Act 2006, made an explosive substance with intent to endanger life or injure property under the Explosive Substances Act 1883 and possessed a controlled explosive with intent to endanger life or injure property under the same act. Mr Reilly, was arrested while in hospital, and police found a typed note at the flat he shares with his mother in King Street, Plymouth.
His solicitor did not appeal for bail and he was remanded in custody until a hearing at the Old Bailey later this month. Two other men arrested in Plymouth remain in custody as the investigation into the attack continues. |