Accused 'Neo-Nazi Member' Found 'Hiding' In A Cupboard, Court Hears

Cover image: Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Mikko Vehvilainen (left) and Mark Barrett (centre) on trial at Birmingham Crown Court. (Credit: PA)

A man accused of being a member of a banned neo-Navi terrorist group was found in a cupboard, a court heard.

It's believed the 23-year old was kneeling in an airing cupboard after giving away his hiding place. 

The man, who cannot be named due to legal reasons was found during a counter-terrorism raid and is on trial alongside two serving British soldiers at Birmingham Crown Court.

All three are accused of being members of an extreme far-right group National Action.  

Whilst giving evidence on Monday, Detective Constable Luke Bielby of West Midlands Police said officers followed intelligence which led them to a flat.

At that address, another male answered the door and claimed the police's target had "been there and left again".

However, the officers pressed ahead with the search after hearing a noise, according to Mr Bielby.

"He (the male) opened the door and it led to another corridor with stairs - and from behind him there was a noise."

"So we went up the stairs to see what the noise was."

During the search, Mr Bielby says they "went up and looked in a number of rooms, and there was nothing there."

"But there was a cupboard"

Duncan Atkinson QC, prosecuting, asked: "When you opened the door, other than the boiler, was there anything else in there?"

The officer replied: "Yes, he was kneeling down in the cupboard."

"I just asked him 'what are you doing in a cupboard?"

"His response was 'bloody hell'."

"I then asked him to come out of the cupboard, and again said 'what are you doing in the cupboard', and he said 'no comment'."

The male claimed he had thrown his mobile phone in a bin, however it was recovered along with other belongings from the cupboard, the jury was told.

As he was being led from the flat under arrest, jurors also heard how he shouted to the man who had opened the door to the police "don't co-operate with them".

The male is also charged with three counts of possession of information likely to be of use to terrorists, and an allegation he distributed such material.

His co-accused, are Royal Anglian Regiment soldiers; Lance Corporal Mikko Vehvilainen, 33, of Sennybridge Camp, Powys, and Private Mark Barrett, 25, of Dhekalia station, Alexander Barracks, Cyprus, but formerly of Kendrew Barracks, Cottesmore, Rutland.

Vehvilainen, who admitted possession of a CS gas canister also faces two further charges of stirring up racial hatred and one count of having a terrorist publication, namely the Anders Breivik manifesto.

All three men have denied any wrong-doing and the trial which is expected to last for three weeks continues.