'Is he a terrorist or just a stupid young man?'

A JURY in the trial of a student accused of terror offences must decide if he is "a wannabe suicide bomber" or a "foolishly stupid young man" simply researching Islamic terrorism.

Prosecutor Brian McConnachie, QC, yesterday told the members of the jury they should convict Mohammed Atif Siddique, 21, of three out of four terror charges he faces.

Siddique's counsel said the suggestion was "unpalatable and ridiculous" and argued it was legitimate for the accused to access information to understand Muslim terrorists' behaviour.

Siddique, of Alva, Clackmannanshire, denies the terror charges and a breach of the peace.

Summing up the case for the prosecution, Mr McConnachie said: "This is not someone who is systematically carrying out research into Islamic politics and the difficulties facing Muslims in the Middle East, this is a wannabe suicide bomber."

And, referring to documents and videos allegedly found on Siddique's computer and a CD discovered under a carpet in his family home, Mr McConnachie added: "The whole ethos is to get the message across as to what people should be doing.

"It is saying if you are a Muslim you should be going to [wage] Jihad [holy war]."

Mr McConnachie said it was very significant that Siddique allegedly took the name Yah Yah Ayash as one of his aliases during online chats.

Ayash was Hamas's chief bomb-maker, responsible for making the explosives used by suicide bombers in Palestinian and a man revered by both Hamas and al-Qaeda.

Donald Findlay, QC, defending, began his speech by quoting from the Koran and said the jury should not be "bound into a conviction" through a "fear or alarm" of Islam.

And Mr Findlay claimed that the suggestion that Siddique wanted to be a suicide bomber "has no crumb of evidence".

The QC criticised a website run by terrorist expert Evan Kohlmann, who earlier gave evidence against Siddique, - claiming its content, such as the beheading of a US hostage, was the "most horrific ever shown to a jury".

He added: "It is not challenged that he [Siddique] downloaded material. If it was training, then so is Evan Kohlmann's [material].

"Instead of being brought from the US to be put in the witness box, he should have been put in the dock.

"Is it not legitimate that Mr Siddique can find out why young Muslim men like him act the way they do? It would not matter if he had 100 times the amount of material he had. You, the jury, have to be satisfied that it was for a terrorist attack."

Mr Findlay concluded: "He [Siddique] is a young man who has said things that are distasteful, which you may not agree with. However, that does not make him a suicide bomber.

"You cannot put someone on trial for what he says or thinks.

In this country, we have the right, protected by law, and the freedom to do, say and think what you like.

"We also have the freedom to be wise or foolish."

The jury is expected to retire to consider its verdict today.