Police guard court for 'suicide bomb' case

Appeal judges ruled that Ahmed al-Khaledi, 30, could be held in custody beyond the normal permitted period before being put on trial.

The period expires next month, but the judges allowed Khaledi's detention until November, although the prosecution had wanted the period to be extended until January next year.

Khaledi was arrested in March at a block of flats in the Whiteinch area of Glasgow. He was accused under the Terrorism Act of using money or property for terrorist purposes, and fundraising.

The arrest had been in connection with an explosion in Stockholm on 11 December last year.

A 28-year-old man, Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly, died and two others were injured. It was believed he had been a suicide bomber intent on causing multiple casualties, but one of his devices had gone off too early.

Abdaly had been a student in Luton, Bedfordshire, where he had lived with his wife and three children.

Following Khaledi's appearance at Glasgow Sheriff Court, he was remanded in custody. Scots law requires a trial to begin within 140 days if the accused is detained, and the period in Khaledi's case expires on 8 August.

In May, a judge, Lady Dorrian, granted an extension until 16 January next year, after the Crown explained that it was taking time to gather evidence from abroad in a "very complicated investigation".

Yesterday, the defence counsel, William Taylor, QC, challenged the five-month extension at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh. He conceded that the normal time-limit should be extended, but said much information had already been gathered from countries such as France, Sweden and the United States.

"Our courts have historically safeguarded the individual from languishing in prison for long periods of time. I say the extension in this case was too long."