Manchester bomber's brother denies murder charges leading to trial to be moved to New Year
The younger brother of the Manchester Arena bomber has formally entered not guilty pleas to multiple charges of murder.
At an Old Bailey hearing, Hashem Abedi's trial which was due to start next month was also delayed until the New Year.
On May 22 2017, Salman Abedi, 22, detonated a suicide vest as music fans left an Ariana Grande concert, killing 22 people and injuring 260 more.
Among those who died were South Shields couple Liam Curry, 19, and Chloe Rutherford, 17.
Their friends and family have set up the Chloe and Liam Together Forever Trust, which supports young people to fulfil their dreams.
Abedi’s sibling, Hashem Abedi, who was raised in Manchester, travelled to Libya before the attack.
The 22-year-old defendant was arrested in Tripoli and was extradited to the UK in July.
He appeared at the Old Bailey before senior judge Mr Justice Baker for a plea hearing today, Tuesday, October 22.
It took six minutes for all the charges to be read out in court and for Abedi to enter not guilty pleas to each one in turn.
He denied 22 counts of murder - one for each of the attack's victims, including Chloe and Liam.
The others claimed in the attack were: off-duty police officer Elaine McIver, 43, Saffie Roussos, 8, Sorrell Leczkowski, 14, Eilidh MacLeod, 14, Nell Jones, 14, Olivia Campbell-Hardy, 15, Megan Hurley, 15, Georgina Callander, 18, Courtney Boyle, 19, Philip Tron, 32, John Atkinson, 26, Martyn Hett, 29, Kelly Brewster, 32, Angelika Klis, 39, Marcin Klis, 42, Michelle Kiss, 45, Alison Howe, 45, Lisa Lees, 43, Wendy Fawell, 50 and Jane Tweddle, 51.
Abedi also faces a single count of attempted murder for all the other victims and conspiring with his brother to cause explosions.
During the hearing, the judge put off the trial from November 11 to January 13.
The case is expected to go on for up to eight weeks.
The defendant allegedly made successful and unsuccessful attempts to buy bomb-making chemicals.
It is claimed he helped in buying a Nissan Micra to store device components and he made detonator tubes for use in the explosive.
The defendant was remanded into custody at top security HMP Belmarsh.