A homeless man has admitted being at the scene of a fire at warehouse used in the Ukraine war effort – but told jurors he got “scared” when he learned it was linked to “Russian terrorism”.
Around £1 million of damage was caused in an arson attack on an industrial unit in Leyton, east London, last March 20, the Old Bailey was told.
The building was targeted because it was being used by a firm sending humanitarian aid and StarLink satellite equipment to Ukraine, it is alleged.
The attack was orchestrated by Dylan Earl, 20, and Jake Reeves, 23, who have admitted aggravated arson on behalf of the Wagner Group and an offence under the National Security Act, jurors heard.
It is alleged that they recruited a group of men to carry out the attack as part of a series of planned missions for the terrorist group.
Paul English, 61, allegedly drove to the warehouse in his Kia Picanto with Jakeem Rose, 23, Nii Mensah, 23, and Ugnius Asmena, 20.
Mensah and Rose were captured on CCTV and livestreamed video as they set the warehouse on fire before they made off, it is claimed.
On Monday, Asmena gave evidence in their Old Bailey trial after English, Mensah and Rose declined to go into the witness box.
Asmena, of no fixed address, admitted being at the scene but claimed he only learned later there had been a fire linked to Russia that night.
He claimed English offered him £500 in cash to go with him in the car saying it would be “simple and easy”.
He insisted he was in the dark about what was going on, having been instructed only to two open car doors and then not say anything afterwards.
The defendant, who claimed he was never paid, told jurors: “After searching on Google I have seen some fire brigade calls. I have seen there is a fire in this place. That was the first time I learned about the fire. Obviously I was there.
“After a while – three or four weeks – I have seen another article. It talked about national security, Russian terrorism.”
Defence barrister Philip Romans asked what he thought at the time.
The defendant replied that he realised it was the same location he had been in but he did not recognise the names of those arrested.
The defendant was detained by police last August at an address in Clapham, south London, where he was “sofa surfing”.
The court was told that in his first police interview he told a number of lies.
Mr Romans said: “You denied presence at the scene. You said you had been with your mother that evening.
“You also said you had never been in a Kia Picanto. You were shown a clip and you said ‘it’s not me’ and you denied knowing Mr English. Why didn’t you tell the truth?”
The defendant replied: “When I was looking at the articles online, one of the articles was talking about national security and I realised I was there.
“Talking about it on the news, talking about Russian agents. I was just there.
“They started talking about terrorism. I was just there. I started to get so scared they were talking about terrorist groups, national security, Russian agents.”
The defendant said he declined to answer questions in a second interview on the advice of his solicitor.
Mr Romans said: “At any time on March 20 last year were you part of a plan to set fire to a warehouse in Leyton?”
The defendant replied: “I did not know any of the people involved. No, I was not involved.”
Under cross-examination, Asmena denied he was the one who had recruited English to be the driver and given him £250 having already been paid for the job.
When a jerry can was filled up at a petrol station on route to Leyton, Asmena said he thought the people he was with had planned to steal a car.
Asmena, Rose, from Croydon, Mensah, of Thornton Heath, south London, and English, of Roehampton, south-west London, have denied aggravated arson relating to the warehouse fire.
Earl, of Elmesthorpe, Leicestershire, and Reeves, of Croydon, have additionally admitted plots to set fire to the Hide Restaurant and Hedonism Wines in Mayfair, west London, and kidnapping their owner on behalf of the Wagner Group, the court heard.
Two other defendants, Ashton Evans, 20, from Newport, Gwent, and Dmirjus Paulauskas, 23, from Croydon, are each charged with two counts of failing to disclose information about terrorist acts, which they deny.
The Old Bailey trial continues.
