Watford man's Wagner Group claims explained after conviction

Piotr Kucharski, of The Glebe, amended a previous not guilty plea for professing to be a member of the proscribed organisation to guilty on Friday (August 16).

Counter Terrorism Policing’s Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) has today (August 22) revealed what happened during their investigation.

• Watford man admits Wagner Group membership but claims he was ‘pretending’
• Watford man in court over 'Russia's Wagner Group membership'
• Watford man in court over 'The Wagner Group membership'

Detectives found that Kucharski, 49, had attended a combat and re-enactment event in Stonham Aspal, Suffolk, in October last year, despite previously being banned.

He threatened participants, telling them he was a member of Wagner Group and had fought in Ukraine. In a row with another attendee he "made a cut-throat symbol and, while walking away from others, began slashing the air with a knife”, ERSOU said.

Suffolk Police were called and initially arrested him for a public order offence and possession of a bladed article. Kucharski was then re-arrested under terrorism legislation after officers found Wagner Group badges sown to his camouflage jacket.

Piotr Kucharski. (Image: PA)

Because of this, the investigation was passed on to the ERSOU’s Counter Terrorism Policing unit and the Watford resident was later charged with professing to be a member of a proscribed organisation.

ERSOU head Hannah Wilkinson said: “Kucharski was clearly intent on causing alarm and distress by feigning membership of Wagner Group, and he was promptly arrested after concerned members of the public raised the alarm about his behaviour.

“There’s no indication that Kucharski fought in Ukraine or was actually a member of Wagner Group, however pertaining to have done so is also a severe offence, particularly given he was very overt with his support for the banned group.

Wagner Group members in Belarus - the private military has operated in operated in Ukraine, Syria and multiple African states. (Image: Wikimedia)

“Our teams work diligently to keep our region safe from the threat of terrorism, and we will continue to ensure those looking to cause harm and disruption in our communities are brought to justice.”

Although the 49-year-old denied the allegations on July 17, he changed his plea to guilty at the Old Bailey on Friday - claiming he was "guilty that I was pretending that I was a member of the organisation”.

Kucharski told the court he is from Poland and spoke via a translator.

The Old Bailey also heard he was previously convicted and served a 15-year sentence for armed robbery in Poland.

Kucharski changed his plea to guilty at the Old Bailey on Friday. (Image: PA)

He is due to be sentenced at the same court on Friday, November 1.

The Wagner Group is a Russian private military company which was added to the UK government’s list of proscribed organisations in September 2023 amid allegations it had acted as a "malign proxy military force" for the Russian state.

The group is accused of using “serious violence” against Ukrainian civilians and armed forces to “advance Russia’s political aims”, according to the Home Office guidance.

It is also alleged to have carried out preparatory acts for terrorism and has been implicated by the government in “serious acts of violence” in certain African states.