VANCOUVER 鈥� A jury sat riveted in sa国际传媒 Supreme Court on Monday watching video of a short, hooded figure hiding a package in the flower bushes near the legislature buildings in the early hours of July 1, 2013.
The video appeared to show the culmination of a months-long RCMP sting that led to the arrest of two British Columbians who are accused of plotting to use pressure-cooker bombs with the intent to maim and kill countless people in Victoria.
Accused terrorist Amanda Korody can be seen in the video walking briskly onto the deserted legislature grounds, a dark, nondescript package in her arms. Moments later, she stands away from some bushes and then quickly leaves. Her black-gloved hands are now empty.
Korody and her husband, John Nuttall, have pleaded not guilty to four terrorism-related charges.
Covert video taken the day before the alleged bombings shows Nuttall, sporting a straw hat, and Korody 鈥� who has removed her traditional Muslim head covering 鈥� meandering across the grounds alongside the key undercover officer involved in the operation.
Nuttall and Korody believe the officer is an Arab businessman with links to organized terrorist groups.
The legislature grounds are shown teeming with an early-evening crowd, with families pushing strollers, tourists milling about and young people kicking around a soccer ball. Fences and stages had been set up in anticipation of the following day鈥檚 sa国际传媒 Day festivities.
Earlier on Monday, the court heard from an undercover officer who posed as a high-ranking terrorist whom Nuttall asked for a supply of C4 plastic explosives.
鈥淧lease will you help me fight,鈥� Nuttall is heard pleading with the officer in an audio recording. The officer had rebuked him a short time earlier for wasting his time with a poorly conceived plan.
鈥淚 need to fight these [infidels],鈥� replies Nuttall. 鈥淲e really, really need your help. I鈥檓 begging you.鈥�
Nuttall is also heard in the recording telling the supposed terrorist leader that he loves and would die for the man he believes is an Arab businessman, often referring to him using the Arabic words for brother and beloved.
After agreeing to provide the explosive material, the undercover officer leaves Nuttall and Korody but his recording equipment remains on and captures him mumbling to himself: 鈥淗e鈥檚 not ready. Or is he?鈥�
On cross-examination, the officer testified that he was surprised at how nervous Nuttall appeared and described the plan of the accused as 鈥渏ust a mishmash of ideas.鈥�
鈥淚t was kind of scattered,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here was no semblance of a viable, working plan.鈥�
Nuttall had earlier told the officer he had three solid ideas, before spouting a laundry list of possible attack targets that ranged from planting bombs across from a Victoria strip club to blowing up a bank, and from detonating a truck in front of a crowded area to bombing city hall.
