The Manchester police chief expressed 'deep regret' Thursday, saying a 'missed opportunity' to examine the attacker's phones before the attack prevented its prevention. The court sentenced Muhammad Asim Bashir, who admitted aiding the attacker, to at least 17 years, labeling him a 'committed jihadist,' Israeli media reported.
The Manchester Police Chief, Steven Watson, expressed 'deep regret' Thursday evening over what he described as a 'missed opportunity' to prevent the Yom Kippur synagogue attack last year. Watson's statement came during court proceedings related to Muhammad Asim Bashir, who was sentenced to at least 17 years in prison for aiding the attacker, Jihad Al-Shami. Watson acknowledged that the attacker's phones were confiscated twice before the attack but their contents were not examined until after the attack, despite opportunities to do so. 'There is almost no doubt that the information in those devices would have led to further investigative actions,' Watson said. The attack, which targeted a synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur, has drawn scrutiny over police handling of intelligence. As The Zioneer reported earlier Thursday, the case has prompted a rare institutional apology from the police.
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