Transcript

The Case That Traumatised The UK

From Disturban · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 20 min · 3,094 words · 23 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "The Case That Traumatised The UK ", an episode of Disturban published December 23, 2025 (20 min, about 3,094 words). It mentions 7 people, works and ideas, including Hasham Abetti, Manchester Arena, Salman Abetti, Greater Manchester Police, One Love Manchester.

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 5:00: Manchester Arena, Salman Abetti
  2. – 10:00: Greater Manchester Police, Manchester Arena
  3. – 20:00: One Love Manchester, We Love Manchester Emergency Fund

Notable quotes from "The Case That Traumatised The UK "

  • Salman Abetti was born in Manchester on the 31st of December 1994 to Libyan parents who had fled the regime of Gaddafi. His parents had been opponents to the Libyan leader and claimed asylum.
    about Salman Abetti · at
  • Near Manchester Piccadilly Station. In the days immediately before the attack, Salman visited the Manchester Arena to conduct a reconnaissance to scope out the destination for…
    about Manchester Arena · at
  • The first 999 call reporting an explosion at the arena reached the emergency services. Greater Manchester police declared a major incident, but there were worries that there…
    about Greater Manchester Police · at
  • June 2017, less than two weeks after the bombing, Ariana returned to the city to headline the One Love Manchester benefit concert. The event at Old Trafford featured numerous…
    about One Love Manchester · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

Companies & orgs

Concepts & topics

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Full transcript with timestamps

This case takes place in the UK in the year 2017. Salman Abetti was born in Manchester on the 31st of December 1994 to Libyan parents who had fled the regime of Gaddafi. His parents had been opponents to the Libyan leader and claimed asylum in the United Kingdom before settling in South Manchester. He had two brothers and a sister. Neighbors later described the household as religious and conservative. But as a teenager, Salman was rather rebellious. He smoked cannabis, did poorly at school and would sometimes misbehave. He developed a reputation as a volatile young man who could become angry quickly during minor disagreements. Salman's parents had strong ties with Libya and traveled back frequently after the 2011 uprising against Gaddafi. During the conflict, Salman also visited Libya and spent extended periods of time there amid the civil war environment. In August of 2014, the Royal Navy had to evacuate

Salman along with other British citizens from Libya as security deteriorated there again. By that point, Salman had already encountered armed groups and political violence during his stay in the country. He became radicalized and began plotting to commit a terrible crime. On returning to Britain, Salman enrolled on a business course at the University of Sulford in 2014. He attended only for a short period of time and dropped out the following year without completing the course, but he still remained a student and so he was eligible for loans and financial support. And he later used the state provided loans to fund his sinister plot. Friends and family noticed a shift in his religious behavior over time with reports that he became more rigid and more withdrawn. By 2015, he was expressing extremist views. He even spoke about these extremist views in a mosque. His fellow religious peers were

horrified and there were reports that he was effectively told not to return for a certain period. Several individuals also contacted official channels to warn about his radical views, including concerns passed to an anti-terror hotline. The security service already held information about Salman in 2015. But Salman wasn't alone in his radicalization. His brother, Hasham, also fell down the rabbit hole. Hasham was born in 1997, and the two brothers shared the same household. Hasham studied engineering related subjects at college level. He also trained in electrical installation which gave him the knowledge to assemble detonators and circuits. In the period before the attack, people who knew the brothers in Manchester described them as increasingly close and insular. They spent more time together, spoke frequently in private, and were seen using shared phones and email accounts.

He too traveled to Libya. As the two became more radicalized, they decided to act. They wanted to construct a large explosive device and use it against innocent people. Hasham was the brains behind Salman's aggression and radicalized intent. He helped source chemicals, obtain shrapnel materials, and identify places where experimentation could occur without attracting attention. By early 2017, both brothers were committed to carrying out an attack aimed at causing maximum casualties among innocent civilians in their home city. To acquire the chemicals, the brothers created or used multiple email accounts and contact details to avoid drawing attention. In March of 2017, they began ordering significant quantities of hydrogen peroxide online using cover stories that suggested commercial or domestic use.

Deliveries were sent to different addresses. The two brothers told acquaintances that the materials were needed to repair a carb tree. A small number of friends assisted with obtaining the items or storing the materials. At the same time, the brothers set about sourcing metal nuts and screws designed to act as lethal shrapnel inside the device. On the evening of the 8th of April 2017, Salman and Hashim bought a small Nissan Micro to use as a mobile store for the bomb components. They paid cash, registered the car to a false address, and they parked it in a side street near their home. The two brothers along with their parents then returned to Libya for a short trip. Hasham stayed in Libya while Salman would return alone to complete the plan. During this time, Hashim kept in contact with Salman, encouraging him over text to complete their mission. In May of 2017, Salman rented a house right

near Manchester Piccadilly Station. In the days immediately before the attack, Salman visited the Manchester Arena to conduct a reconnaissance to scope out the destination for his attack, essentially to figure out the best place to cause maximum casualties. On the 22nd of May, he completed the bomb in the rented house and left carrying the heavy backpack containing the device. He traveled by tram to Victoria station during the evening while Ariana Grande's concert was underway. CCTV later traced his movements, calmly walking through the station up towards the city room as he awaited the end of the show. Around 14,000 people attended Ariana's show at the Manchester Arena on the night of the 22nd of May 2017. The crowd included large numbers of children and teenagers with their parents saw older relatives accompanying them. As Ariana Grande finished her last song, many fans started to leave through the staircases

and corridors, leaning to the city room foyer. The city room was a semi-encclosed space above Victoria station connecting the area ball to the outside world and public transport. It contained merchandise and food stands. Security staff and stewards were positioned there, expecting a routine surge of people leaving the arena. Salman had already taken up his position near the glass doors that led away from the arena into the foyer. He was wearing his backpack weighing more than 30 kg. Inside was a main charge placed with a metal container surrounded by thousands of nuts and screws to act as shrapnel.

The bomb also contained a small power source and a trigger mechanism designed for manual detonation. At 10:31 p.m., Salman detonated the device at his position near the exit doors. The blast ripped through the foyer, sending a wave of pressure, flame, and metal fragments into the dense crowd. The explosion instantly killed Salman and many of those closest to him. Shrapnel embedded in the walls, ceilings, and doors and caused devastating injuries to those in its path. Witnesses described seeing a sudden flash and a loud bang that knocked them off their feet. Dust, smoke, and the smell of burning filled the room as the lights flickered and debris fell. Some survivors near the edges of the foyer saw people lying motionless while others cried out for help. The explosion was heard throughout the arena ball and corridors, causing confusion as crowds tried to understand just what had happened. A friend of mine

in attendance initially thought a speaker or balloon had burst, but the sight of smoke and running security staff quickly signaled something far worse. People began to stampede. Stewards and arena staff began shouting at people to move away from the foyer and to leave by alternative routes. Inside the city room, uninjured or less injured bystanders immediately started to give first aid to those around them. Some used belts, scarves, and makeshift bandages to try and stop the heavy bleeding from limb injuries. Others comforted seriously heard relatives or strangers while waiting for professional help to arrive. At 33 minutes past 10, the first 999 call reporting an explosion at the arena reached the emergency services. Greater Manchester police declared a major incident, but there were worries that there could be multiple more attackers. Within just minutes, armed officers entered the complex. They were operating under the

possibility of a marauding firearms attack which affected the early flow of paramedics into the immediate blast area. Outside, people leaving the arena gathered on the streets and in car parks. Many separated from their family members in the rush. Taxi drivers, hotel workers, and local residents took in distressed concertgoers and helped them make calls to their relatives. Inside the foyer, three paramedics began triage and treatment, but they were heavily outnumbered by the casualties. Many patients were carried out of the city room on advertising boards, crowd barriers, or other improvised stretches.

As more emergency service personnel came to the scene, the gravity of the situation set in. In total, 22 people died that day. Hundreds were left injured and more than 1,000 people were recorded to have psychological harm. For two of the victims, there was a real possibility that a better medical response might have altered the outcome. The attack deliberately targeted a space filled with families and young fans at their most relaxed point into the night. Allison How, aged 44, was a mother from Reiton who went to the arena to pick up her teenage daughter and her friend. She died in the city room while waiting near the doors to the arena. Lisa Lees, aged 43, was a beauty therapist and mother of two who stood alongside Allison that night. Lisa died where she stood, only meters away from the bomber, while her daughter survived inside the arena.

Angelica Cliss, aged 39, and Marin Cliss, aged 42, were a married couple from Poland who lived in York. They traveled with their daughters to Manchester and stayed outside to meet them after the concert. Both parents were killed in the explosion, leaving their daughters without their mother and father. Khloe Rutherford, age 17, and Liam Curry, age 19, were a couple from South Shields who attended the show together. They died side by side near the foyer area as they left the arena. Courtney Bole, age 19, was a university student from Gates Head, who went to the concert with her stepfather. Courtney died in the blast together with her stepfather, Philip Tron, aged 32, who was also killed. Ela Macccyver, aged 43, was an off-duty police officer from Cheshire who attended the arena with her partner and his children. Elaine died in the city room, whilst those she was with were injured, but they did survive.

Georgina Calendarer, aged 18, was a student from Lancaster and a devoted fan of Ariana. Georgina died shortly after the explosion despite efforts by medical staff to save her life. John Atkinson, aged 28, was a support worker from Burie, who cared for young adults with additional needs. Jon suffered a severe leg injury in the blast and died later in the hospital. His death could have been prevented if faster treatment was administered. Kelly Brewster, aged 32, died from her injuries after the blast. Martin Head, aged 29, from Stockport, was right next to the bomber at the moment of detonation. He died at the scene. Nell Jones, 14, from Cheshire, attended the concert with a close friend. Nell was among the closest to the blast and was later confirmed dead after a search by her family. Olivia Campbell Hardy, aged 15. She died from her injuries after being found and treated at the scene. Megan Hurley, aged

15, from Mercyside. She went to the concert with her older brother, who was badly injured, but survived. Tragically, Megan died after suffering severe injuries near the center of the blast. Michelle Case, aged 45, from Lancaster, was a mother of three, who went to pick up her daughter. Michelle passed away in the foyer despite attempts to save her life. Jane Tweedle, aged 51, from Blackpool. She was visiting Manchester with a friend. Jane was killed by the explosion while standing some distance from the bomber. Sorrel Levchovsky, aged 14, from Leeds. She visited the arena with her mother and grandmother who were both injured but survived. She passed away after suffering multiple injuries near the foyer entrance. Ay Mloud aged 14 from the aisles of Barra in Scotland.

She traveled hundreds of miles with a friend to attend the concert. She died from her injuries in the city room. Wendy Fowl aged 50 from oddly. She went to the arena with friends to collect their children. She too was killed in the blast. Due to YouTube restrictions, I can't show the last victim, Safi Russos, aged eight. She attended the concert with her mother and sister. She was the youngest victim of the attack. Within hours of the bombing, investigators began piecing together what had happened. Among the debris, police found bank cards bearing Salman's name, which provided an early lead on the attacker's identity. Facial recognition checks using CCTV images linked to official records quickly confirmed it. Armed officers raided his family home the following day, securing evidence and detaining individuals for questioning. They arrested Salman's older brother, Ismmail, along with several other men on suspicion of

terrorism related offenses. At the same time, investigators traced Salman's car that he used to store the bomb components. Inside, they found evidence that the car had been used as part of the plot. They traced deliveries to addresses in Rush and Blackley, then linked those addresses back to the brothers and some other associates. Police and intelligence officers then also sought to establish whether Salman had traveled or trained with organized terror groups abroad. They confirmed that he had spent time in Libya and that he almost certainly had contact with individuals linked to the Islamic State.

However, the extent of what he was up to outside the UK is still classified. In the first 10 days after the attack, 22 people were arrested in the UK as potential suspects or witnesses. All of those arrested in Britain were later released without charge and the police announced that they believed Salman had largely acted alone in the final stages of the attack. The focus of the attention shifted to his brother Hasham who was still in Libya at the time of the bombing. Libyan security forces detained Hasham in Tripoli on the 23rd of May 2017. During his detention, British investigators supplied evidence linking him to the purchase of chemicals, shrapnel, and other materials. In November of 2017, the United Kingdom formally requested Hasham's extradition to face trial.

After prolonged negotiations and political challenges in Libya, he was finally handed over to British custody in July of 2019. After the attack, the government tried to understand how this had been missed. Reviews looked at what the security services already knew about Salman and why that information hadn't led to any action beforehand. A public inquiry examined the emergency response, the arena security, and the intelligence held at the time. It found missed warning signs, slow responses, and failures to join the dots. The inquiry said that the attack might have been prevented if that information had been acted on sooner. MI5 later accepted that they had not moved quickly enough.

Despite this, investigators found no evidence of a wider hidden terror cell. Following his extradition in July of 2019, Hashim was brought to the UK and placed in high security custody. He was charged with 22 counts of murder, one for each person killed in the bombing. The trial began in February of 2020 and lasted several weeks. The prosecution's case was that Hasham had been deeply involved in every stage of the preparation except for the final act of detonation. The defense position was that Hasham didn't know the full extent of Salman's intentions and he did not agree to plan to kill anyone. His legal team suggested that he believed the materials might be used for a less harmful purpose such as destruction of property. Hashim chose not to give evidence in his own defense and at times he refused to attend court. After hearing all the evidence, the jury retired to consider its verdicts. On the

17th of March 2020, the jury found Hasham guilty of all 22 counts of murder. The sentencing took place in August of 2020. Families of the victims read statements describing their losses and the impact of the bombing on their lives. They spoke of ongoing physical injuries, deep trauma, whilst others described the long-term grief of losing children, partners, and parents. Hashim again refused to attend for much of the sentencing hearing, and the judge ordered that the proceedings continue without him. This clear evidence just goes to show that he had zero remorse for what he had done. The judge explained that the law left him with no choice but to impose life imprisonment for the murder convictions. His next task was to decide how long Hasham would have to remain in prison before any possibility of release could even be considered. The court heard that had Hasham been 21 at the time of the

bombing, the judge could have imposed a whole life tariff, meaning that he would never be released. But because Hasham was 20 years old, the law prevented this sentence. So instead, the judge sentenced him to a minimum term of 55 years, this meant that Hasham would not be eligible for parole until late into his life. And at the time, it was the longest minimum term ever imposed by a British court. The judge described Hashim as being just as responsible as Salman for the attack given his role in the planning and the preparation. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, Manchester residents gathered to leave flowers, messages, and candles for the victims. Vigils took place all across the city, and the phrase Manchester Strong appeared on banners, artworks, and social media posts. On the 4th of June 2017, less than two weeks after the bombing, Ariana returned to the city to headline the One Love Manchester benefit

concert. The event at Old Trafford featured numerous performers and was broadcast live to audiences all around the world. It raised more than£17 million for the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund. Over time, funds raised through donations and charity events were used to provide financial assistance, counseling, and long-term support for those affected. For the survivors and their families, the consequences of the attack have continued for years. People with life-changing injuries have undergone multiple operations and extensive rehabilitation.

Some survivors have spoken publicly about being targeted by conspiracy theorists who falsely claimed that the attack was staged, adding a new layer of distress within the prison system. Hasham has been linked to further violent attacks. In April of 2025, he allegedly threw hot cooking oil over officers at the prison he's staying at. He has also attacked several members of staffs with improvised blades. One can only hope that he remains behind bars for the rest of his life.

Questions about this episode

What is discussed in "The Case That Traumatised The UK "?

In order: 0:00 Manchester Arena, Salman Abetti; 5:00 Greater Manchester Police, Manchester Arena; 15:00 One Love Manchester, We Love Manchester Emergency Fund.

What is mentioned in this Disturban episode?

7 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Hasham Abetti, Manchester Arena, Salman Abetti, Greater Manchester Police, One Love Manchester, We Love Manchester Emergency Fund. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "The Case That Traumatised The UK "?

The episode runs 20 min; the transcript is about 3,094 words in 23 timestamped sections.

More from Disturban

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated January 24, 2026.