Mohammed Saleem was killed as he made his way home from a mosque in April
Mohammed Saleem was killed as he made his way home from a mosque in April

A Ukrainian man accused of the terror-related murder of a 82-year-old Muslim will stand trial next year.

Pavlo Lapshyn, 25, is accused of murdering Mohammed Saleem as he walked home from a mosque in Birmingham in April.

The postgraduate student from Dnipropetrovsk is also charged with three further offences relating to explosions near mosques in Walsall, Wolverhampton and Tipton.

Lapshyn appeared at the Old Bailey via videolink from Belmarsh prison. No plea hearing was made and he was remanded in custody until his next appearance in court on 21 October for a plea and case management hearing.

A provisional trial date was set for 14 January at the Old Bailey.

Lapshyn is accused of stabbing Saleem close to the victim's home on 29 April, 2013.

The student, who was in the UK on a sponsored work placement at a software firm in the Small Heath area of Birmingham, was arrested on suspicion of Saleem's murder on 20 July.

He has also been charged with engaging in conduct or preparation of terrorist acts between 24 April and 18 July.

He faces two counts of unlawfully and maliciously causing an explosion with the intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to a person or property on 21 June and 12 July, following the explosions in Walsall and Tipton respectively.