Appendix 15: Key events in the life of SA and surrounding the Attack – chronology

Date/time	Event
31^st December 1994	SA was born.¹
1997	HA was born.²
2008
21^st October	The Abedi family moved in to 21 Elsmore Road.³
2009
12^th January	SA began attending Burnage Media Arts College.⁴
2010
2010	Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre regional assessment of Manchester was published.⁵
2011
17^th February	The civil war in Libya began.⁶
24^th June	SA left Burnage Media Arts College.⁷
21^st September	The Abedi family moved to Libya.⁸
3^rd November	Ramadan Abedi was stopped at a UK port.⁹
17^th November	Ramadan Abedi was stopped at a UK port.¹⁰
2012
18^th September	SA began attending Manchester College.¹¹
11^th October	SA assaulted a female pupil.¹²
2013
23^rd August	The Abedi family returned to the UK.¹³
15^th September	SA began attending Trafford College.¹⁴
Date/time	Event
1^st November	The Abedi family moved back in to 21 Elsmore Road.¹⁵
18^th December	SA left Manchester College.¹⁶
2014
18^th March	SA opened as a Subject of Interest by the Security Service.¹⁷
29^th June	Islamic State decla#fef6e7; that it had established a caliphate.¹⁸
8^th July	SA and HA travelled to Libya.¹⁹
21^st July	SA closed as a Subject of Interest by the Security Service.²⁰
1^st August	Abdalraouf Abdallah’s home searched and devices seized as part of Operation Oliban.²¹
4^th August	SA and HA evacuated from Libya by the Royal Navy on board Her Majesty’s Ship (HMS) Enterprise.²²
5^th to 28^th November	SA and Abdalraouf Abdallah exchanged over 1,000 text messages.²³
28^th November	Abdalraouf Abdallah arrested for terrorism offences and remanded in custody.²⁴
5^th December	Abdalraouf Abdallah formally categorised as a Category B prisoner.²⁵
2015
26^th February	SA and Ahmed Taghdi visited Abdalraouf Abdallah in prison.²⁶
22^nd June	SA left Trafford College.²⁷
29^th July	Abdalraouf Abdallah released on bail.²⁸
3^rd September	Ismail Abedi stopped at a UK port.²⁹
16^th September	SA travelled to Saudi Arabia to undertake the Hajj.³⁰
Date/time	Event
October	SA opened and closed as a Subject of Interest on the same day by the Security Service.³¹
8^th October	SA began attending the University of Salford.³²
7^th November	SA travelled to Germany via Paris and returned to the UK the following day.³³
2016
11^th May	Abdalraouf Abdallah convicted of terrorism offences.³⁴
25^th May	SA travelled to Libya via Turkey.³⁵
15^th July	Abdalraouf Abdallah given an extended sentence of nine and a half years for terrorism offences.³⁶
8^th October	SA returned to the UK from Libya.³⁷
October	Samia Tabbal travelled back to Libya.³⁸
November	Islamic State published a video demonstrating how to manufacture triacetone triperoxide (TATP) and make a bomb.³⁹
Late 2016	HA asked Relative B if he could take oil cans from the takeaway where they worked.⁴⁰
6^th December	Abdalraouf Abdallah moved to Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP) Altcourse.⁴¹
2017
Early January	HA asked Trial Witness 4 to buy a “liquid” for a battery.⁴²
Early 2017	HA asked Trial Witness 2 to buy some acid.⁴³
13^th January	SA attended an exam at the University of Salford and only signed his name.⁴⁴
16^th January	Abdalraouf Abdallah telephoned SA from prison.⁴⁵
Date/time	Event
17^th January	SA was due to visit Abdalraouf Abdallah in prison with Alzoubare Mohammed.⁴⁶
17^th January	SA and HA attended the funeral of Mansoor al‑Anezi.⁴⁷
18^th January	SA and Elyas Elmehdi visited Abdalraouf Abdallah at HMP Altcourse.⁴⁸
18^th January	Alharth Forjani’s Amazon account was used to purchase sulphuric acid.⁴⁹
24^th January	Abdalraouf Abdallah telephoned SA from prison.⁵⁰
30^th January	SA’s final attendance at the University of Salford.⁵¹
17^th February	While in prison, Abdalraouf Abdallah was found to be in possession of an illicit mobile phone.⁵²
18^th February	Aimen Elwafi sublet Flat 74, Somerton Court to SA and HA.⁵³
2^nd March	Relative C’s Amazon account was used to purchase sulphuric acid.⁵⁴
3^rd March	HA attended Shield Batteries and purchased a battery.⁵⁵
3^rd March	SA hit a priority indicator under the Security Service’s Operation CLEMATIS.⁵⁶
9^th March	HA asked Trial Witness 1 to purchase some acid.⁵⁷
15^th March	Mohammed Soliman’s Amazon account was used to purchase sulphuric acid.⁵⁸
17^th March	Ahmed Hamad asked Ahmed Dughman to give SA and HA access to 44 Lindum Street.⁵⁹
19^th March	Zuhir Nassrat’s Amazon account was used to attempt to purchase hydrogen peroxide.⁶⁰
Date/time	Event
20^th March	Zuhir Nassrat’s Amazon account was used twice to attempt to purchase hydrogen peroxide.⁶¹
22^nd March	Yaya Werfalli’s Amazon account was used to purchase hydrogen peroxide.⁶²
23^rd March	Mohammed Soliman was stopped at a UK port.⁶³
23^rd March	HA’s Toyota Aygo was involved in a road traffic collision.⁶⁴
24^th March	HA acqui#fef6e7; a Hyundai Sonata.⁶⁵
28^th March	Yaya Werfalli’s Amazon account was used to purchase hydrogen peroxide.⁶⁶
3^rd April	Yaya Werfalli’s Amazon account was used to purchase hydrogen peroxide.⁶⁷
10^th April	Mohammed Soliman left the UK.⁶⁸
13^th April	SA and HA acqui#fef6e7; a Nissan Micra. Ahmed Taghdi was present.⁶⁹
14^th April 23:34	SA and HA began to transport the TATP from Flat 74, Somerton Court to Devell House.⁷⁰
15^th April 01:08	SA and HA completed the transportation of the TATP from Flat 74, Somerton Court to Devell House.⁷¹
15^th April 17:25	SA, HA and other family members departed the UK for Libya from Manchester Airport.⁷²
1^st May	The last contact between SA and Ahmed Taghdi took place.⁷³
1^st May	The indicator hit for SA was triaged and it was assessed that he met the threshold for further investigation under Operation CLEMATIS.⁷⁴
Date/time	Event
8^th May	The Operation CLEMATIS team assessed that SA should be refer#fef6e7; to Operation DAFFODIL for consideration as to whether to initiate further low‑level investigative enquiries. The meeting was scheduled for 31st May 2017 to consider him further.⁷⁵
15^th May	SA telephoned Alzoubare Mohammed from Libya.⁷⁶
18th May 2017
11:16	SA was recorded on CCTV arriving at Manchester Airport.⁷⁷
12:29	SA arrived at Devell House.⁷⁸
14:42	SA ente#fef6e7; Granby House on his own.⁷⁹
18:18	SA began hostile reconnaissance at the Victoria Exchange Complex.⁸⁰
18:39	SA concluded hostile reconnaissance at the Victoria Exchange Complex.⁸¹
19:34	SA purchased items for the device.⁸²
19th May 2017
08:35	SA left Granby House to collect the explosive and other items from Devell House.⁸³
09:26	SA returned to Granby House with the explosive and other items from Devell House.⁸⁴
11:30	SA purchased items for the device.⁸⁵
13:20	SA purchased items for the device.⁸⁶
19:38	SA purchased the Karrimor rucksack he used to carry the device.⁸⁷
21:53	SA placed an internet order for items for the device.⁸⁸
Date/time	Event
20th May 2017
08:16	SA purchased items for the device.⁸⁹
21st May 2017
09:17	SA left Granby House to buy items for the device.⁹⁰
14.56	SA collected his internet order.⁹¹
18:53	SA arrived at the Victoria Exchange Complex to carry out hostile reconnaissance.⁹²
19:12	SA concluded his hostile reconnaissance.⁹³
22nd May 2017
12:30	SA left Granby House to dispose of items.⁹⁴
17:30	SA disposed of items.⁹⁵
17:55	SA left Granby House in order to arrange a money transfer to Libya.⁹⁶
18:31	SA arrived at the Victoria Exchange Complex to carry out hostile reconnaissance.⁹⁷
18:36	SA concluded his hostile reconnaissance.⁹⁸
19:42	SA left Granby House to dispose of items.⁹⁹
20:06	SA left Granby House carrying the Karrimor rucksack containing the device.¹⁰⁰
20:23	SA made a telephone call to Libya.¹⁰¹
20:28	SA boarded a tram bound for the Victoria Exchange Complex.¹⁰²
22:31	SA detonated the device.¹⁰³
Date/time	Event
23rd May 2017
00:01	Detective Chief Superintendent (DCS) Simon Barraclough was appointed as Senior Investigating Officer for the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) investigation into the Attack.¹⁰⁴
01:58	A Halifax bank card with SA’s name on it was discove#fef6e7; in the City Room by GMP investigators.¹⁰⁵
02:29	Photographs of SA were taken by GMP investigators for comparison purposes.¹⁰⁶
04:43	SA was identified from the photographs by an expert in image assessment instructed by GMP investigators.¹⁰⁷
10:35	SA was identified from his fingerprints by GMP investigators.¹⁰⁸
11:35	HA was identified as a suspect in the GMP investigation.¹⁰⁹
17:21	SA was publicly identified by GMP as a person responsible for the Attack.¹¹⁰
19:24	Ramadan Abedi sent a Facebook message to his sister, Rabaa Abedi.¹¹¹
Post-2017
17^th July 2019	HA was extradited to the UK.¹¹²
22^nd October 2019	This Inquiry was established by the Home Secretary.¹¹³
27^th January 2020	The criminal trial of HA began.¹¹⁴
17^th March 2020	HA was found guilty of 22 counts of murder and other offences.¹¹⁵
20^th August 2020	HA was sentenced to imprisonment for life with a minimum term of 55 years.¹¹⁶
7^th September 2020	The Inquiry’s oral evidence hearings started.¹¹⁷
Date/time	Event
23^rd October 2020	HA confessed to the Inquiry Legal Team that he had participated in the planning and preparation for the Attack.¹¹⁸
17^th June 2021	Volume 1 of this Report was laid before Parliament.¹¹⁹
15^th October 2021	High Court proceedings under section 36 of the Inquiry Act 2005 in relation to Ahmed Taghdi came before Mr Justice Jacobs.¹²⁰
18^th October 2021	High Court proceedings under section 36 of the Inquiry Act 2005 in relation to Ahmed Taghdi came before Mr Justice Jacobs and before Mr Justice Fordham.¹²¹
1^st November 2021	The closed oral evidence hearings started.¹²²
18^th November 2021	The closed oral evidence hearings ended.¹²³
1^st December 2021	Abdalraouf Abdallah spoke to a prison officer about SA.¹²⁴
7^th December 2021	High Court proceedings under section 36 of the Inquiry Act 2005 in relation to Ismail Abedi came before Mr Justice Sweeney.¹²⁵
15^th March 2022	The Inquiry oral evidence hearings ended.¹²⁶
14^th July 2022	Ismail Abedi was convicted in his absence by the Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court of an offence under section 35 of the Inquiry Act 2005.¹²⁷
3^rd November 2022	Volume 2 of this Report was laid before Parliament.
2^nd March 2023	Volume 3 (open) of this Report was published.
2^nd March 2023	Volume 3‑I (closed) of this Report was published.
At a future date	Volume 3‑II (closed) to be published.