"I SWEAR on my mother's life I wasn't involved."
Those were the words of Daniel Cressey, pictured, who is accused of aiding and abetting two men in fire-bombing a Grimsby mosque.
On the third day of a trial at Grimsby Crown Court, Cressey told jurors he would have told the police if he had known about a plot to attack the Grimsby Islamic Cultural Centre.
Details of police interviews with Cressey, 24, of New Holland, were revealed yesterday.
As reported, he has pleaded not guilty to aiding and abetting his cousin Stuart Harness and Gavin Humphries – who have admitted arson reckless as to whether life was endangered – by driving the pair to the mosque on May 21.
The court heard how Cressey went to Harness's house, in Dixon Avenue, Grimsby, on the day of the attack.
During the first interview between him and the police, he said he only went to chat to his cousin and have a beer.
He told investigating officers that he could smell petrol, but assumed it was from Harness's motorbike, which they were looking at.
Cressey said he did not see any petrol bombs, but did see a jerry can in the garage, and said the three men did not talk about the recent murder of a soldier in Woolwich, or any plans to attack Grimsby's mosque.
During this first interview, Cressey said neither Harness or Humphries got into his car; that it was just him alone in the vehicle.
But in a second interview later on the same day, he said Harness had sat in the front passenger seat, but only to talk.
Humphries may have also got in the car, he said, adding: "I've got a bad memory, I can't remember."
Cressey said he then drove home to New Holland to let his dog out and see friends.
He recalled it being light at the time.
The last time he saw Harness and Humphries was when they were on the footpath outside the house, the court heard.
"If I'd have known what they were planning to do, I would have reported it to the police," he said.
A third police interview, during which he was represented by a solicitor, he responded with "no comment" to questions.
Simon Hirst, defending, told jurors: "There is no challenge of the evidence in this case.
"The footage has been played, the interviews have been heard, and you know all the facts.
"But the issue for you is, are you sure you have enough evidence? If you are not, you must find him not guilty."
A Police Community Support Officer, who was patrolling the area on the night of the attack, confirmed that no car was spotted in the vicinity of the mosque.
Mr Hirst added: "Where was he when the attack was carried out? He wasn't there.
"There's no way to know the three of them talked about what they were doing.
"You have no eyewitnesses whatsoever of people getting into the car, driving along or getting out of it."
The trial continues.
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