Birmingham mosque attacks: Man admits religiously aggravated damage Published duration 31 October 2019

image copyright PA image caption The windows of the Jam-E-Masjid Qiblah Hadhrat Sahib Gulhar Shareef in Erdington were smashed

A man has admitted carrying out religiously aggravated criminal damage after five mosques were vandalised in Birmingham.

Arman Rezazadeh, from Greenhill Road in Handsworth, pleaded guilty at Birmingham Crown Court to causing the damage on 21 March.

The mosques he targeted were in Perry Barr, Aston and Erdington.

The 34-year-old was granted unconditional bail ahead of a sentencing hearing on 28 November.

Windows were smashed at Witton Islamic Centre, Al-Habib Trust and Jamia Masjid Ghausia, all in Aston, Masjid Madrassa Faizul Islam in Perry Barr and Jam-E-Masjid Qiblah Hadhrat Sahib Gulhar Shareef in Erdington.

At the time, West Midlands Police said the attacks were not thought to be motivated by right-wing extremism and were not terror-related.

Ch Supt Kenny Bell said: "We fully understand the major impact that these attacks on sacred places of worship had on the Muslim community in Birmingham, especially as they happened just days after the appalling terrorist attack at mosques in Christchurch [New Zealand].