A man has denied being an arsonist who allegedly torched two 5G masts and an Indian restaurant during a month-long spree in Surrey.
Milo Creese, 40, from Ottershaw, entered not guilty pleas to eight charges as he appeared via videolink from Wandsworth Prison at the Old Bailey on Wednesday. The plea hearing before Judge Richard Marks KC saw Creese deny charges of arson with intent to endanger life, three other offences of arson, damaging property, having an offensive weapon in public, and two assaults on an emergency worker.
The charges relate to a series of incidents alleged to have taken place between October 31 and November 21 last year.
The charges and alleged spree
The court heard the spree began on October 31, when Creese is accused of setting fire to the 3 Rooms Indian restaurant in Ottershaw, causing an estimated £8,000 of damage.
The following month, he allegedly launched two arson attacks on infrastructure belonging to the Mobile Broadband Network. The final alleged incident occurred on November 21, when a fire was reported at a 5G mast on Bittams Lane in Ottershaw. That fire was extinguished and no injuries were reported. Creese was arrested that same day, and is also accused of damaging a windowpane in a 16th century listed cottage in Chertsey, having a crossbow in public, and assaulting two police constables—one of whom he is alleged to have struck with the crossbow.
The alleged evidence: brake cleaner and a rucksack
During the hearing, prosecutor Alistair Richardson outlined a key strand of evidence allegedly linking Creese to the mast fire. “Police were contacted after a fire against a large electrical tower, started inside a rucksack,” he said. “Nearby, there was a can of brake cleaner which appeared to have been used as an accelerant. The defendant had purchased brake cleaner six days earlier.”
The investigation into the incidents is being led by Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE). The force took over the case after information suggested the incidents may be linked. Creese was initially arrested on suspicion of arson and possession of an offensive weapon on November 21 and detained under the Mental Health Act, before later being charged by CTPSE.
The alleged targeting of 5G masts echoes a wave of attacks in early 2020, which were fueled by baseless conspiracy theories linking the technology to the spread of coronavirus. At that time, approximately 50 phone masts were targeted across the UK. The government and industry bodies, including Mobile UK, condemned the attacks as dangerous vandalism of critical infrastructure.
Judge Richard Marks KC, who presided over the plea hearing, is a Senior Circuit Judge at the Old Bailey and has served as the Common Serjeant since 2015. He has presided over several high-profile cases, including one of the first murder sentencings in England and Wales to be broadcast live.
Judge Marks set a further hearing for June 19. A 10-day trial is scheduled to begin at the Old Bailey on September 1. Creese was remanded into custody.
