Bomb plot trial unlikely before summer 2008

By Mark Trevelyan

LONDON (Reuters) - The trial of three doctors over failed car bombings in London and Glasgow is unlikely to start before summer next year, a judge said on Friday.

A preliminary hearing for two of the men -- Bilal Abdulla, 27, and Mohammed Asha, 26 -- took place at the Old Bailey but they were unable to follow the proceedings because a video link to Belmarsh prison was down.

Justice David Calvert-Smith said they would be sent a full transcript of the hearing, at which the prosecution set out dates from September 21 onwards for serving evidence relating to explosives, crime scenes, closed-circuit television footage, telephone and computer material.

Lawyers said the start of the trial, and its duration, were hard to predict.

"I can see it's not going to be ready before July of next year at the moment," Calvert-Smith said.

Crown prosecutor Karen Jones said Abdulla, arrested at Glasgow airport after a jeep was driven into a terminal building and set alight on June 30, was not prepared to indicate how he would plead.

"If Mr Abdulla is going to challenge absolutely everything, it's going to be a very lengthy trial," she said.

Defence lawyer Hugh Mullan, representing Asha, said the case against his client was circumstantial and heavily dependent on telephone and computer evidence.