July 21 plotters' appeal dismissed

Three judges in London dismissed applications for leave to appeal brought by Muktar Said Ibrahim, Yassin Omar, Ramzi Mohammed and Hussain Osman, who are all serving at least 40 years behind bars for planning the failed July 21 London bombings in 2005.

They were jailed for life last July after being convicted at London's Woolwich Crown Court of conspiracy to murder.

Announcing the decision Sir Igor Judge, Mr Justice Forbes and Mr Justice Mackay ruled they had a fair trial and said the jury was given "appropriate and clear directions on all the issues arising in this trial".

Also dismissing applications brought by Mohammed and Osman against sentence, Sir Igor said: "These were merciless and extreme crimes. As they were rightly meant to be, the sentences were severe and extreme. Beyond doubt, however, they were utterly justified."

The attempted attacks came two weeks after four suicide bombers struck in central London, killing 52 people and injuring more than 770.

On July 21 the men had tried to detonate rucksacks laden with explosives on three Underground trains at Shepherd's Bush station, Oval station and Warren Street station, together with a bus in Hackney Road, killing themselves and passengers, but the bombs failed to go off.

At their trial the four had maintained that the events of July 21 were an elaborate hoax designed to protest against and draw attention to Britain's role in the attack upon and occupation of Iraq.

Sir Igor said: "On July 21 2005 London came within a vanishingly short breath of wholesale murder by terrorists. The explanation why the date will not be twinned in the annals of its venerable history with the murderous outrage perpetrated on July 7 2005 is simple: it was sheer good fortune."

Sir Igor said that, after a lengthy examination of the evidence, the court was entitled to record that the defences of the four to the charge of conspiracy to murder "were ludicrous", adding that the jury "approached the issues with the open-minded fairness and lack of prejudice which is one of the customary characteristics of the jury system".