A man will face trial in October next year charged with terrorism offences and arson attacks on two leisure centres and a bomb hoax. Ilyas Akhtar, 20, of Cress Road, Slough, Berkshire, is charged with one count of preparing terrorist acts and a separate count of possessing information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism. He is further charged with arson attacks at Slough Ice Arena on 14 May and Salt Hill Activity Centre in Slough on 31 May. Mr Akhtar is also accused of causing a bomb hoax directed at an Asda supermarket in Telford Drive in Slough on 9 May. The defendant appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday by video-link and spoke only to confirm his name and age. His barrister Gavin Holme indicated that he will be pleading not guilty to the charges. The judge, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, set a provisional trial date of 19 October next year at Woolwich Crown Court with a time estimate of four weeks in front of a High Court judge. Mr Akhtar's next appearance will be a plea and trial preparation hearing on 31 October this year at which the trial date will be considered. The defendant was remanded in custody. You can followBBC BerkshireonFacebook,X (Twitter), orInstagram.
Man in court on terror and arson charges
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TruthLens AI Summary
Ilyas Akhtar, a 20-year-old resident of Slough, Berkshire, is set to stand trial next October on multiple serious charges, including terrorism and arson. The charges against him include one count of preparing terrorist acts and another for possessing information likely to assist in committing or preparing such acts. Specifically, Akhtar is accused of carrying out arson attacks at two local leisure centers: the Slough Ice Arena on May 14 and the Salt Hill Activity Centre on May 31. In addition to these charges, he faces allegations related to a bomb hoax directed at an Asda supermarket located on Telford Drive in Slough on May 9. These incidents have raised significant concerns regarding public safety and the potential motivations behind Akhtar's actions.
During a recent court appearance via video link at the Old Bailey, Akhtar confirmed his name and age but did not engage further. His legal representative, barrister Gavin Holme, indicated that Akhtar intends to plead not guilty to all charges. Following this preliminary hearing, Mrs. Justice Cheema-Grubb scheduled a provisional trial date for October 19 of next year at Woolwich Crown Court, estimating the trial will take approximately four weeks. Prior to the trial, a plea and trial preparation hearing is set for October 31 of this year, where the trial date will again be reviewed. As the proceedings unfold, Akhtar has been remanded in custody, highlighting the seriousness of the allegations against him and the judicial system's response to such threats to public safety.
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