Two former soldiers who fire-bombed a mosque in response to the murder of soldier Lee Rigby were caught on CCTV preparing petrol bombs and throwing them at the building, a jury has heard.
Grimsby Crown Court was shown footage of Stuart Harness, 33, and Gavin Humphries, 37, each carrying two home-made petrol bombs from Harness’s home in the town. More cameras caught them later, launching the bombs at the doors of the Grimsby Islamic Cultural Centre, four days after Fusilier Rigby was killed outside Woolwich Barracks, in London, in May.
A jury of eight women and four men heard how a number of worshippers were inside the mosque when the attack took place on May 26. They managed to extinguish the fire and Harness and Humphries were soon arrested as they were witnessed attacking the building by passing police community support officers, the court was told. Both men have pleaded guilty to the arson attack, the jury heard.
Excerpts of CCTV footage from the mosque and Harness’s home on Dixon Avenue were shown to the jury on the first day of the trial of a third man, Daniel Cressey, 24, of New Holland, North Lincolnshire. Cressey, who is Harness’s cousin, is accused of driving the two other men to the mosque. He denies one charge of aiding and abetting arson, being reckless as the whether life was endangered.