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Lawyers for bomb plot gang cost us £5million
Shekhar Bhatia04.11.08
LAWYERS defending a terror gang cost the taxpayer £5 million in legal aid, it was revealed today.
Ringleader Dhiren Barot intended to murder thousands by detonating bombs on the Heathrow Express, under the Thames and in US buildings including the New York Stock Exchange.
He admitted conspiracy to murder and was jailed at Woolwich crown court with seven members of his gang in November 2006.
But he and his gang's case cost millions after Barot waited almost two years before he finally entered a guilty plea knowing he faced an 80-year sentence if he denied his role and was found guilty.
The Court of Appeal later decided to reduce his minimum tariff from 40 to 30 years. That process alone is likely to have added tens of thousands of pounds to the cost to the taxpayer.
Among those who profited from the case was Barot's solicitor, Mudassar Arani, who has already earned thousands of pounds more in legal aid from other terror cases including that of the jailed extremist cleric Abu Hamza.
Other lawyers who would have received legal aid payments were Ian Macdonald QC and barrister Ali Bajwa, who represented Barot when he appealed against his sentence.
A spokesman for the Legal Services Commission said today: "Dhiren Barot was one a group of eight who faced Crown Court charges related to a terror plot.
"The cost of defence for the trial and an appeal against sentence stands at £5,007,645. While the Commission recognises the sensitivity of funding such cases, our justice system and the principle of a fair trial requires that people accused of committing a crime are not prejudged and should have legal representation to defend themselves, regardless of whether the decision is unpopular."
He added that the decision to grant legal aid in criminal cases is made by the court after applying an "interests of justice test". It considers a number of factors including whether an individual is likely to lose their liberty and the complexity of the case.
Barot, from Kingsbury, planned a "black day" of terror in a series of co-ordinated bombings with the help of a gang of seven men each recruited for their expertise in various aspects of the plot.
He wrote: "Imagine the chaos that would be caused if a powerful explosion was to rip through London and actually rupture the river itself." Barot was described as the most high-profile terror leader ever captured in Britain, with direct links to Osama bin Laden.
Reader views (19)
After watching the US election last night, i simply CANNOT WAIT until June 2010 in the UK.
LABOUR ARE GOING DOWN!
- Liam, London
An insult to every decent, hardworking taxpayer.
- P I Staker, London
The Government supports and defends the terrorist so why not bail them out too?Makes perfect sense to me.
- Steve, London
No win, no fee?
It is highly tempting to think that these high paid barristers try to extend the trials for reasons of monetary gain. Ever seen the size of the cardboard boxes they take into court. How can what they contain all be relevant?
- Naomi Sajeri, Manchester
Please tell me why these scum are allowed to claim legal aid? They plotted to kill people. It seems to me that the vultures (yes the solicitors who defend them) are no better than the scum they defend, plundering the legal aid system of thousands of pounds. The law should be changed - there are people out there with real bona fida claims to legal aid YET THEY DO NOT GET IT. Why should these would be murderers be able to claim? Dont jail them - he obviosuly despises the 'West' so much then why does he live here? Send him where he belongs - back to peasantland......
- Barbara, sydney, australia
One of the biggest pieces of propaganda of our time is the reduction in legal aid fees.
This shows what a lie that is - as the parasites take more money away from genuinely needy causes.
Who puts out this lie - the law society and the legal bodies who live off taxpayers money
How can it possibly be sensible to spend £5m on such a case.
- Andrew, london
Personally, I wouldn't want there to be any chance whatever that they could claim they had an unfair trial and get off on appeal. Spend the money. Make sure its a safe and true verdict that can't be overturned - then hit them with everything in the book (if and) when they are pronounced guilty!
- Rogan, Irving
£5m to help defend terrorists that the authorities have heaps of evidence against, and yet the NHS is unable to fund life-saving treatments for certain patients who have been model citizens. I think our security services should be free to dispense to these people the brutal treatment they would afford to others if they were able - no questions asked.
- Ab, london
Now I actually agree with providing everybody with a defense counsel in a criminal case, but can somebody explain how it cost 5m? Did the case go on for 5yrs? How many billing hours is that? Legal Aid needs serious reform. If a lawyer is billing 100pounds per hour which is quite enough, then this is 50,000 hours work!
- Mark, London
Sentence him to hard graft! Introduce the chain gang & put these wretched people to work hard, as opposed to let them play video games in comfort, whilst eating 3 meals a day.
- Scott, London
i wonder if Barot,though converted to Isalm be allowed to reconvert as he still uses his old name,,,,,,,,,may be legal aid will help him
- Bipin, london
not a bad deal..........either way the terrorists win if they succeed they kill and if they fail,they become guests of the Queen, may be for a couple of years, at tax payers expenses ( for not converting)and their defenders make a fourtune ,,,,,,,,must congratulate the British Gov,,,wonder what would other governments would have done,especially the middle east ones
- B.D.G, london
These people breed like rabbits, therefore will have plenty of relations who could club together and pay their wretched legal fees if they didn't get legal aid. Which obviously they shouldn't on principle.
- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx
& how much of it went straight back into the fighting fund?
- Alembique, United Kingdom
Legal aid laws need to be changed! Why on earth should the public / tax payer pay the legal costs of terrorists that tried to kill them; their friend, co workers, fellow British citizens? The ultra left establishment must be broken down and replaced with common sense and policies that favour British society.
- Brandon Thomas, London UK
Obscene
- Jeremy E, London
words fail me when I read something like this. Why are we even helping these people? the 5 million could had helps families that are currently suffering due to the credit crunch - it is mad
solution chop the heads off of both the gang and the lawyers
I have no sympathy for monsters like these
- L Parker, London
The UK seems to have become an open purse for anyone who is not from the UK or acts against the UKs interest. It wouldn't surprise me if the bomb plot gang sue for discrimination against their religious belief in holy jihad.
I am sure he'd get millions under the UKs current law system.
- Ben, London, W1
£5M for bomb-plot defence lawyers, £170,000 per year for an Afghanistan women to live in London with her 7 children, £10,000 to send Harriet Harman to watch the Brazillian Grand Prix. Now where was any of this money spend for the benefit of the UK public by this trash communist influenced Labour Government? Ah but what can you expect when £1 trillion is to be paid from future taxation for public sector pensions! Now isn't that something to look forward to when you are receiving less than £5,000 from your own private pension fund?
Dump labour before Labour dumps YOU!
- Joe, London, UK
