London - The father of an Iraqi doctor on trial in Britain on charges of masterminding major attempted car bombings in London and Glasgow Thursday apologized to a court for his son's actions.

Professor Talal Abdulla, 57, said in a statement read out in court that the "sky fell" on his family when his son, Bilal Abdulla, was arrested after a failed car bombing at Glasgow airport, in Scotland, in June 2007.

In his witness statement to Woolwich Crown Court, in London, Professor Abdulla said the family name had been "blackened" and he could not imagine his son preparing to kill himself in the name of Islam.

Professor Abdulla, a well-known rheumatologist and rehabilitation expert who now lives as a refugee in Amman, Jordan, said: "I am deeply sorry and apologize to the British public and authorities for any distress caused."

"When I heard Bilal had been arrested and what he had done it was as if the sky fell on me and the family. We were shocked. We still have not recovered from this," said the statement.

"It is common knowledge in Islam that suicide is sinful and not permitted. Any person who commits suicide is destined for hell fire. Bilal knows this. I cannot contemplate Bilal doing this. There is no justification in my mind to kill, injure or threaten people."

Bilal Abdulla, who was born in Britain and worked as a junior doctor in Britain's National Health Service (NHS), is accused of the attempted murder of hundreds of people in the failed attacks on a London nightclub, and Glasgow airport, in June, 2007.

He was the co-driver in a blazing jeep driven at the entrance of Glasgow airport's main terminal building. The driver, Kafeel Ahmed, died of the burns sustained in the attack.

Last week, Abdulla denied the charges, telling the court: "I can't kill, I'm a healer, a doctor." However, he had wanted to "scare" the British people so that they would realize their government leaders were "murderers," he said.

He told the jury he had planned "bloodless incendiary device attacks aimed at highlighting the plight of Iraqis."

Abdulla is on trial with Mohammed Asha, a 28-year-old doctor from Jordan, who is accused of conspiracy to murder and to cause explosions. He also denies the offences. dpa