The brother of a man accused of planning to bomb the B.C. legislature on Canada Day says the alleged terror plot is “surreal” and difficult to believe.

John Nuttall’s brother, who did not want to be identified, told CTV News that he was shocked by the allegations laid out by the RCMP on Tuesday.

Mounties allege Nuttall and Amanda Korody, who lived together in Surrey, planned to detonate self-made pressure cooker bombs similar to the ones used in the Boston Marathon bombings while hundreds gathered to celebrate the national holiday.

The RCMP believe the two were “inspired by Al-Qaeda ideology” and “self-radicalized.”

Nuttall’s brother said the suspect was always a generous person who loved music and playing the guitar.

He said the two had lost contact for about a year and a half and by the time they reunited, Nuttall had converted to Islam. He also spoke Arabic, his brother said.

“I didn’t know my brother anymore. All of a sudden, he completely changed. He was a completely different person,” Nuttall’s brother said.

But he added he could “never see my brother wanting to kill innocent people – ever.”

Nuttall and Korody are charged with conspiring to place an explosive in a place of public use with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury; knowingly facilitating a terrorist activity; and being in possession of an explosive device.

RCMP Assistant Commissioner Wayne Rideout told reporters that during the five-month investigation, the suspects discussed a variety of targets and plans.

Friend Ashley Volpatti told CTV News the couple had recently become more extreme in their religious views. She said they became distant early this year, and Nuttall began making comments that concerned her.

“He said he would sacrifice his own wife and his firstborn son for Allah and that's going a little bit too much into your religion,” she said.

Volpatti said the couple's recent erratic behaviour coincided with Nuttall starting to do errands for a man who drove a silver pickup truck.

The pair shared an apartment inside a Surrey home for the past three years. Their landlord, Ramesh Thaman, said they were frequently short on cash and said they subsisted on social assistance.

Thaman said the pair attended a local mosque and were generally polite, and had medication delivered to the home daily.

A tour of the basement suite on Wednesday revealed piles of dirty laundry, garbage on the floor and dozens of bottles of prescription medication, including methadone.

Amid the mess were signs of religion including Islamic artifacts and clothing, as well as small amounts of Saudi Arabian and Iranian currency.

Designed to harm

Mounties in B.C. tracked Nuttall and Korody for five months before their arrest earlier this week.

Rideout said the pair made devices intended to hurt the maximum amount of people possible.

“They took steps to educate themselves and produce explosive devices designed to cause injury and death,” he told reporters at a press conference.

RCMP say the devices contained rusty nails, nuts and bolts, but weren’t active – and the public was never at risk.

Assistant Comissioner James Malizia said the plot was inspired by Al-Qaeda ideology but did not have any international links and was not tied to any terrorist organization.

Records show Nuttall was convicted of weapons charges, assault and mischief charges in 2010, and robbery in 2003.

Tom Morino, Nutall’s former lawyer, said he’s floored by the new allegations, and that the couple always presented to him as pleasant, caring and compassionate.

“I was stunned to be honest with you at the seriousness of them. That's why I'm anxious to get the disclosure and meet with my clients and discuss it with them.”

The couple made a brief court appearance on Tuesday and their case was put over until July 9.