Originally Posted by
Alanwsg
Here's an interesting article from "The reg" about the trial and the possibility of the bomb plot actually happening ...
Yes, there was a viable liquid-bomb plot | The Register
One paragraph leapt out of the page for me ...
"The message is clear - the British courts are fair, or anyway their juries are. You will be given the benefit of the doubt in a jury trial, even if you are a dark-skinned bearded man with a scary name; even if you have made suicide videos and you admit up front that it was your plan to let off high explosives in a crowded public place. If the prosecutors can't prove beyond reasonable doubt that you were also going to blow up a plane, you still won't be convicted of trying to."
Unfortunately whilst I agree it would be a wonderful message, it did rather depend on the powers that be accepting the decision. Latest news is that the CPS is in fact going for a re-trial.
"You will be given the benefit of the doubt in a jury trial, and then you'll get another trial and another and another, until they find a jury that gets it right" isn't quite the same.