Italian Restaurant Owner Busted in Plot to Shoot Jews in Great Yarmouth
Walid Saadaoui, 38, the boss of a popular Italian restaurant, has been charged with plotting a horrific mass shooting aimed at the Jewish community in Great Yarmouth. Cops say he planned to cause “untold harm” by targeting as many Jewish people as possible in a brutal gun attack – but his sick plan was smashed thanks to an undercover Police sting.
From Holiday Entertainer to Restaurant Boss
Saadaoui, a Tunisian who arrived in the UK in 2012 with his first wife Jane, told Preston Crown Court about his unusual path. He once worked as a hotel entertainer, running dance shows, quizzes and even water aerobics. After grabbing a work visa, he settled down in Essex and had various holiday park jobs.
In 2018, after scrimping and saving, he bought The Albatross restaurant in Great Yarmouth with a bank loan. He trained as a chef and told the court: “I wanted to progress in life. I wanted to be my own boss.”
Following a split from his first wife, he married Michelle, a staff member from the restaurant. Together they have two kids and Saadaoui boasted about his thriving business, which hosts weddings, birthdays and boasts loyal customers.
Co-Accused Cleared or Charged
- Amar Hussain, 52, also faces charges of preparing terrorist acts but denies any wrongdoing
- Walid’s brother, Bilel Saadaoui, 36, is charged with failing to report knowledge of the terror plot
- The family relocated to Abram, Wigan, in 2023
Walid Saadaoui will keep giving evidence at Preston Crown Court this Wednesday as the dramatic case unfolds.
