By Tony O’Reilly-
A Manchester court has granted counter-terrorism detectives an extra five days to question four people arrested in connection with the deadly attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue.
Police investigate outside the synagogue on Friday. Pic: PA
The four suspects, who include two men and two women, will remain in police custody until Wednesday, following their arrests on suspicion of the “commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism.”
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This crucial extension demonstrates the ongoing intensity of the investigation to uncover the full circumstances surrounding the recent atrocity.
The deadly rampage occurred on Thursday, which was Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Initial reports indicated that the assailant, 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, rammed a car into pedestrians before attempting to force entry into the synagogue while armed with a knife.
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Pic: PA
Importantly, police later confirmed that Mr. Daulby may have been accidentally shot by an armed officer as congregants valiantly worked to barricade the synagogue doors.
Investigators say the attacker, a British citizen of Syrian origin who lived in Manchester, may have been influenced by extreme Islamist ideology, and a fake explosives belt was found on his person.
Detectives initially arrested six people in the greater Manchester area on suspicion of terror offences as they worked quickly to establish if Al-Shamie acted alone or with accomplices.
Two of these individuals, an 18-year-old woman and a 43-year-old man who were arrested in Farnworth, have since been released without charge.
However, warrants of further detention were successfully secured for the remaining four suspects. These four people now being questioned are men aged 30 and 32, and women aged 46 and 61. The men were arrested in Prestwich, while the 46-year-old woman was detained in Farnworth.
Consequently, the extra questioning time allows the police team to pursue all lines of enquiry thoroughly and with appropriate detail.
Following the attack, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood pledged increased security at synagogues across the country, stating the government would “do whatever is required to keep our Jewish community safe.”
The Home Secretary also later announced plans to give police new powers to place conditions on repeat protests, which she directly linked to the “considerable fear” expressed by the Jewish community following the terror incident.
These legal changes would amend sections of the Public Order Act 1986 to explicitly allow police to consider the cumulative impact of frequent protests on local areas. Therefore, the extra questioning time for the suspects is vital to the broader security picture.
The legal framework governing this extended detention is set out in UK anti-terror legislation, which permits the holding of suspects for up to 14 days, subject to judicial approval, in cases involving terrorism.
This timeframe is significantly longer than for other types of criminal offences.
Counter Terrorism Policing North West is leading the complex investigation, supported by the national counter-terrorism policing network and local officers.
Ultimately, the extra questioning time is a necessary measure in a major counter-terrorism probe. Find out more about the framework for these detentions under the Terrorism Act 2006.
The investigation continues to seek out all connections to the attacker, who was revealed to have been on police bail for an alleged rape at the time of the incident.
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