'Man in the hat' terror trial: Pair who gave cash to Brussels bombing suspect in Birmingham park jailed

Zakaria Boufassil and Mohammed Ali Ahmed gave £3,000 to Abrini - dubbed "the man in the hat" after he was caught on CCTV at Brussels airport just before the bombing in March this year - during a secret rendezvous in a Birmingham park.

A jury at Kingston Crown Court in south-west London last week found Boufassil, 26, from Birmingham, guilty of engaging in conduct in preparation of acts of terrorism.

Ahmed admitted the offence the previous month.

The pair were sentenced on Monday, with Ahmed ordered to serve eight years with an additional year on licence and Boufassil given a three-year term with a year on licence.

Abrini, 31, was arrested in Belgium accused of "participating in terrorist acts", related to his role in the deadly Brussels bombings on March 22.

The Belgian Moroccan is also wanted by French authorities for the November 13 2015 attacks in Paris in which 130 people were killed.

While both men supplied the cash, Mr Justice Baker also noted Ahmed's offending also included participating in physical training and researching "secure methods" by which he and Boufassil's sister could travel to Syria "undetected".

Soumaya Boufassil was initially charged on the same indictment as the two men but walked free from court last week after the CPS offered no evidence against her.

The judge said letters written by Ahmed to her that were seized by authorities showed he had undertaken "a significant amount of research" about how to leave the UK.

He said: "I am sure that you are an individual who has for some time and continues to hold extreme Islamist beliefs, and that you are committed to the cause of Islamic State."

However, Boufassil played a more "limited role" and there was no evidence beyond his offending that he harboured any such extremist beliefs, Mr Justice Baker said.