Private investigator with 'far-right views' collected bomb and murder manuals, court hears
'How can I be a terrorist? I’m Polish,' Pawel Golaszewski allegedly asked armed police as he was arrested
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A private investigator with “racist, anti-Muslim and anti-immigration views” had been collecting manuals detailing how to make bombs and deadly weapons, a court has heard
Pawel Golaszewski also worked as a security guard while allegedly amassing tutorials on “how to kill someone with your bare hands” and overthrow governments.
The 34-year-old denies six counts of possessing documents containing information useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.
London's Old Bailey heard that Mr Golaszewski told the armed police who arrested him: “How can I be a terrorist? I’m Polish.”
A prosecutor said he did not need to have intended to use the instruction manuals to have committed the alleged terror offences.
“The defendant presents as a deeply bigoted individual, espousing far-right causes and voicing racist, anti-Muslim and anti-immigration views,” Dan Pawson-Pounds told the jury on Tuesday.
“It will be for you feed this into your assessment of whether or not Mr Golaszewski has a reasonable excuse for his possession of the indictment documents.”
Mr Golaszewski made notes as he sat in the dock with an interpreter during the opening of his trial, wearing a shirt and glasses.
The court heard that he was arrested by armed police in Leeds on 23 February while driving a car in his security guard uniform.
He asked officers what was “going on” before claiming that another Polish man had made false allegations about him and adding: “How can I be a terrorist? I’m Polish and I have no criminal record.”
Investigators uncovered four mobile phones, a tablet and laptop in the Fiat Punto Mr Golaszewski was driving.
The devices contained copies of documents called the 21 Silent Techniques Of Killing by Master Hei Long, The Anarchist Cookbook, The Big Book Of Mischief, the Improvised Munitions Handbook, Murder Inc The Book by Jack The Rippa, and Mini-manual Of The Urban Guerrilla.
“Four of these documents gave step-by-step and detailed sets of instructions about how to make explosives and improvised explosive devices,” Mr Pawson-Pounds said.
“Of the other two documents, one gave detailed instructions on how to kill people - as simple as that - and the other provided tactics, techniques and instructions on how to fight as a guerrilla - as part of a revolution against a government - in towns and cities.”
An explosives expert said the manuals could be used to build “viable” bombs, the court heard.
Mr Golaszewski’s car also contained a folding knife, tie-wraps and handcuffs.
The court heard that a search of his home in Wensleydale Mews, Armely, produced a “survival knife”, two smoke grenades, a lock knife and torch with a concealed knife.
Mr Pawson-Pounds said the defendant initially answered “no comment” to questions over why he had the manuals in police interviews, but then claimed he was using them for research because he wanted to join the armed forces.
“In regards Britain First I’m not agreeing with their policies, their views and I think what they are doing is wrong,” Mr Golaszewski said.
“In regards the manuals on my devices I was doing research, general research as I wanted to join army forces.
“And also I was doing some general research as part of my business and work. In regards to smoke grenades I bought them legally from UK shop and they were for paintball purposes.”
The prosecution argued that the comments were an admission by Mr Golaszewski that he possessed the document and knew what they contained, and that they did not amount to a “reasonable excuse”.
Mr Pawson-Pounds asked the jury whether it was “reasonable for someone thinking of applying to join the armed forces - even assuming this is true - to possess bomb making manuals and instructions on how to assassinate people or fight a guerrilla war in urban areas.”
He told the court there was “no legitimate reason” for the Mr Golaszewski’s work as a security guard or private investigator to require the manuals.
The defendant had been accredited by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) and had numerous documents in his car relating to his Leeds-based PG Investigations business, which he ran alone, the court heard.
The firm advertised its work as private investigations “including tracing missing persons and debtors, serving legal documents, matrimonial cases and surveillance”.
“You may wonder how 21 techniques of assassinating someone assists someone in investigating a matrimonial dispute,” Mr Pawson-Pounds said.
“The Crown does not have to prove that Mr Golaszewski had any intention to use the material in the documents for the commission or preparation of an act of terrorism or for anything else ...
Mr Golaszewski’s intention here is not relevant, it’s the nature of the documents, what he knew about them and whether he had a reasonable excuse.”
The trial continues.