A man from Harlesden has appeared in court today accused of murdering Syrian-born preacher Abdul Hadi Arwani in Wembley.
Leslie Cooper, 36, of Nightingale Road, is accused of killing the 48-year-old imam and on April 7.
The father-of-six, a critic of the Assad regime in Syria, was found dead in a car in The Greenhill, at the junction of The Paddocks, yards from the former Brent Town Hall building.
A post-mortem examination found, the former imam at the An Noor mosque in Acton, west London, died from gunshot wounds. Cooper appeared at Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court where he spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth during the hearing, which lasted little more than a minute.
He was shaven headed with a stubbly beard, and appeared wearing a grey tracksuit and a white T-shirt.
District Judge Ann Sawetz remanded him in custody to appear at the Old Bailey within the next 48 hours
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