The alleged leader of a terrorist plot to blow up passenger planes has told a jury he does not expect to return home at the end of his trial.
Abdullah Ahmed Ali has told the court he planned an explosion at US airline offices at Heathrow's Terminal Three.
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Mr Ali, 27, is one of eight men who deny a plot to blow up passenger planes over the Atlantic in 2006.
'Out of proportion'
Prosecutors claim the defendants planned to make hydrogen peroxide bombs disguised as soft drinks to detonate in mid-air on at least seven transatlantic passenger planes flying out of Heathrow airport.
Asked if he understood the consequences of his evidence, he said he expected to go to prison.
He said: "I understand that admitting to use an explosive device in a sensitive place such as an airport is an offence and I don't expect to go home after the trial, I expect to do time for that."
He added: "This whole thing has been blown up out of proportion. I'm not going to admit to something I didn't do and never intended to do."
'The truth'
Mr Ali said the explosive device he tried to make using a plastic bottle and a battery was not meant to do "any damage".
He said: "That's the truth. I've done something which is an offence, I'm putting my hand up to that."
At Woolwich Crown Court on Tuesday he had admitted planning to set off a device at the terminal.
Mr Ali's co-defendants are: Assad Sarwar, 25, of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, Tanvir Hussain, 27, of Leyton, east London, Waheed Zaman, 24, and Arafat Waheed Khan, 27, both of Walthamstow, east London.
Also charged are Mohammed Gulzar, 26, of Barking, east London, Ibrahim Savant, 27, of Stoke Newington, north London, and Umar Islam, 30, of Plaistow, east London.
All eight deny two joint charges of conspiring to murder and to endanger aircraft.
The trial continues.
(BBC)
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