Hashem Abedi, brother of Manchester Arena bomber, refuses to appear in court

From The Times

The brother of the Manchester Arena suicide bomber has refused to appear in court to be sentenced for mass murder.

Hashem Abedi, 23, was brought to the Old Bailey from prison but has refused to leave cells. The judge admitted he was powerless to force the killer to appear. “There is nothing further the court can do”, Mr Justice Jeremy Baker said. “I have no power to direct that force be used to compel him to come into court.”

The court will hear victim impact statements from families and survivors throughout the day. Families of the victims and survivors will follow the hearing by live link from Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle and Glasgow.