A man who caused £10,000-worth of damage to a memorial dedicated to victims of the Manchester Arena attack has walked free from court.
24-year-old Anwar Hosseni, from Salford, appeared in court yesterday and admitted to vandalising the ‘Glade Of Light’ memorial – which was opened in January, and is dedicated to the 22 people who tragically lost their lives during the bombing at Manchester Arena on 22 May 2017- during the early hours of 9 February 2022.
Mr Hosseni admitted to scratching white lines across various parts of the memorial with a crystal Buddhist head figure in an act that Manchester City Council previously dubbed “sickening”.
Before damaging the memorial, CCTV footage captured from the incident showed Mr Hosseni praying and dancing at the site – which is next to Manchester Cathedral in the heart of the city centre – only a few weeks after it had opened to the public.
He was later arrested at his home address, but told police at the time that he wanted to give “love, unity, honour and gratitude for the souls of those who passed away”.
During the sentencing yesterday, Manchester Crown Court heard that Mr Hosseni has an “established psychiatric history”, including periods of detention under the Mental Health Act, and Gwen Henshaw, defending, said that he now understands what he did was “wrong and hurtful to many”, including the victims’ families.
ADVERTISEMENT
“He is mortified to know that he has caused them hurt and anguish because he prides himself on helping people [and] he is sorry for the pain that he has caused,” Ms Henshaw said.
24-year-old Anwar Hosseni, from Salford, admitted to vandalising the ‘Glade Of Light’ memorial in February 2022 / Credit: Manchester City Council (via Twitter)
Several personal statements from families of the Manchester Arena attack victims were read out in court during the hearing.
Mr Hosseni – who has no previous convictions – pleaded guilty to criminal damage at an earlier hearing, and was sentenced to a two-year community order and a two-year criminal behaviour order, which prevents him from visiting the immediate area surrounding the Glade Of Light memorial.
Handing Mr Hosseni the sentence, Judge Nicholas Dean QC, told the court: “The memorial is precious to the people of Manchester, but especially precious to the relatives of the 22 who died and your actions were bizarre.
“What you did was caused significant and widespread damage and that was interpreted by the relatives and friends of the victims as being a sacrilegious act.
“No doubt they would have thought there was some sort of political motive.
The memorial is dedicated to the 22 people who tragically lost their lives during the bombing at Manchester Arena on 22 May 2017 / Credit: The Manc Group
“I am satisfied that is not the case.
ADVERTISEMENT
You were motivated by some bizarre thought process. You thought you were somehow honouring the dead. If this had been a malicious, political act you would you be facing a lengthy sentence of imprisonment.”
He added: “I accept what the doctors say, and what you say, in that you did not intend any ill will to the deceased or their families and friends.
“Quite the contrary, although the way you chose to express it would be difficult for anyone to understand.”
Featured Image – The Manc Group
News
Police are searching for a missing bride-to-be, with CCTV from the day she vanished released
Daisy Jackson
Police have ramped up their appeal to find missing bride-to-be Eren Wright, releasing CCTV of her on the day she vanished.
Eren has been missing since 27 October, when she left her home address in Lytham St Annes.
Since then, her desperate fiancé has shared that her phone was last detected in Birkdale Southport at around 5.30pm that same day, and her bank accounts are empty.
He said last week in a post on Facebook: “Myself and the pets are freaking out not knowing where she is and if she is ok, she has been missing for nearly 12 hours.”
Eren was last seen just after 10am leaving her home on St David’s Road South.
She is described as white, 5’7″, slim, and with blonde hair. She also has tattoos of vines and a tree on her hand and arms.
Police have ramped up their appeal to find missing bride-to-be Eren Wright. Credit: Fylde Police
Eren was last seen wearing a light olive green hoodie with a painting on the front, beige/cream wide leg pants, and worn white trainers.
Police have now shared the new CCTV image of Eren in the hopes that someone might know where she is, or have seen her.
Fylde Police also said they were ‘worried’ about her.
If you see Eren or know where she might be, call 999 quoting log 1309 of October 27th.
Leigh drug dealer jailed after being ‘caught red-handed’ by police
Emily Sergeant
A drug dealer known around the Leigh area has been jailed last week after police caught him ‘red-handed’.
Dawid Bialek, of no fixed abode, has been jailed after pleading guilty to four counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs (heroin and crack cocaine), and handling stolen goods.
It comes after, on Monday 11 May 2026, officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) who were patrolling on a canal towpath, near Quayside in Leigh, spotted 30-year-old Bialek attempting to discard a package in the water.
The package was subsequently recovered, and according to GMP, was found to contain multiple wraps of suspected Class A drugs.
Further enquiries then led police to an address in Leigh, where additional evidence linked to drug dealing was recovered – including suspected drugs, scales, empty wraps, and mobile phones.
Bialek was later bailed as police conducted further enquiries, but while that work was continuing, on Friday 19 June, officers carrying out plain-clothes patrols in the town centre saw Bialek in an alley just off the canal tow path, handing out wraps of heroin and crack cocaine to others.
He was once again stopped, searched, and found to be in possession of drugs and cash.
This time he was charged and able to be remanded. He appeared at court over the summer and plead not guilty to the charges brought against him, but as the investigation continued, examination of seized mobile phones uncovered further evidence of drug dealing activity – including messages, videos and notes consistent with the supply of Class A drugs.
Due to the quantity of evidence gathered and submitted to the CPS, Bialek changed his plea to guilty and was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court last week.
He has been jailed for a total of four years and nine months.
Following the sentencing, a spokesperson for GMP’s Leigh Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “The supply of Class A drugs causes significant harm within our communities and often exploits vulnerable people who are struggling with addiction.
“This result demonstrates our commitment to targeting those responsible for bringing drugs into Leigh and disrupting the criminality associated with them.”
The Manc -
23rd June 2022 
