Man found with pipe bomb in airport hand luggage to be sentenced

A man who was found with a pipe bomb in his hand luggage at Manchester Airport is due to be sentenced for possessing explosives with intent to endanger life.

Nadeem Muhammad will be sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on Wednesday afternoon after being found guilty following a trial earlier this month.

A jury heard he was planning to board a Ryanair flight to Italy on January 30 when security officers uncovered the device, made of masking tape, batteries, the tube of a marker pen, pins and wires, in the zip lining of his small green suitcase.

Muhammad, of Tinline Street, Bury, said he had not seen the device before it was discovered in his bag and it had "nothing at all" to do with him.

The 43-year-old sobbed in the dock when the jury found him guilty by a majority verdict of 10 to two.

The court heard airport security had initially believed the bomb was not viable and, after being questioned by counter terrorism officers, Muhammad, who was born in Pakistan but had an Italian passport, was released.

He was able to board a flight to Italy five days later.

When the object was inspected by an expert it was found to be a "crude but potentially viable improvised explosive device".

Muhammad was arrested when he returned to the country on February 12.

Following the verdict, Greater Manchester Police said there had been some errors in their assessment of the device on the day and the force had since reviewed its practices.