Tunisian holiday entertainer who married English tourist became committed terrorist

He said he saved up by working extra hours at the site for six years and in April 2018 bought The Albatross restaurant in Regent Road, Great Yarmouth, with the assistance of a bank loan.

He told jurors: “I wanted to progress in life. I wanted to be my own boss.”

His marriage had already finished earlier that year, he said, and he later met his second wife, Michelle, who was already working at the Italian restaurant, and they went on to have two children.

Saadaoui said The Albatross, which had been established for 17 years by the previous owner, was a “successful business with a good customer base” where he regularly hosted wedding ceremonies and birthday parties.

In 2023, he sold the restaurant and home as his family moved to a house in Wigan, Greater Manchester, which he bought in cash.

In July and August of that year, he emptied his bank account with multiple withdrawals.

Following his arrest in May 2024, police found £75,000 in a safe hidden in a brick outhouse in the rear garden of his home in Crankwood Road.

Saadaoui had also finalised his will and travelled to see his mother in Tunisia earlier that year, Preston Crown Court heard.

He never worked during his time in Wigan, but said he had plans to set up a beekeeping business.

But prosecutors said Saadaoui moved to Greater Manchester with the sole intention of ramping up his plans for martyrdom in a terror atrocity aimed at Jews in the region.

Saadoui, born in Gaafour, in north-western Tunisia, was aged about four when his family moved to Sousse which is near to the scene of a 2015 terror attack in Port El Kantaoui where 38 people, including 30 Britons, were killed when a gunman targeted a hotel.

He was convicted of preparing acts of terrorism between December 2023 and May 2024.

Walid is understood to hold UK citizenship.

His brother, Bilel, 36, was found guilty of failing to disclose information about the plans.

Bilel also worked in a hotel in Sousse and he too went on to marry an English tourist, a widowed hairdresser on holiday with her two young children.

They met in 2010 and started a relationship a year later before they married in November 2014 and moved to Hindley, Wigan.

Since 2020 he had worked as a casual worker at Pound Bargains in Market Street, Hindley.

The prosecution said he was Walid’s confidant and shared his support for the Islamic State.

He had a key to Walid’s safe and a copy of his will, the court heard.

On the date that Walid went to collect weapons which he intended to use in a gun attack, Bilel messaged him: “May Allah Safeguard you. If you see of them something that displease/disturb you or almost expose you, then dispense or return. This is better for you”.

The prosecution said the message showed that Bilel knew what his brother was up to.

Bilel has leave to remain in the UK until next September, the court heard.

His bail was revoked as he was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing next February.