I had no knowledge of Gray's Inn 'explosive plot', businessman tells court

A businessman has said he had no involvement in the planting of devices made to look like explosives at Gray’s Inn. Jonathan Nuttall, 50, told the Old Bailey yesterday that  he had ‘only ever asked [Michael Sode, his driver and co-defendant] to drive’ and had ‘never met’ the four other co-defendants.

Nuttall, his wife Amanda and others were being investigated by the National Crime Agency over alleged money laundering and other offences. In April 2019, an order was made for the recovery of £1m of assets from Nuttall’s wife.

The court previously heard Nuttall had a ‘deep seated grudge’ against Andrew Sutcliffe KC, who along with barrister Anne Jeavons, had been instructed by the NCA to act against Nuttal in a proceeds-of-crime hearing.

Two ‘devices’ were placed in Gray’s Inn, including one outside chambers 3 Verulam Buildings, where Sutcliffe works, on 14 September 2021, causing building evacuations and road closures.

The court heard that Nuttall met Michael Sode in 2019 when he hired him to be his driver on an ad-hoc basis. He paid him £50 for a half day and £100 for a full day.

Questioned by defence counsel George Carter-Stephenson, Nuttall said: ‘I only ever asked him to drive. He has never been into our home, our flat, never been into my office. I used the phone a lot in the car and of course Mr Sode, if he wished, would be able to listen. Inevitably I was from time to time, in fact regularly, specking to my solicitor.

‘It’s infeasible that his name [Andrew Sutcliffe] was not mentioned. It must have been, Mr Sutcliffe and the NCA were quite a significant part of my life for the last eight years.’

When asked if Sutcliffe’s name would have been mentioned in telephone calls Nuttall had in the car, he said: ‘It is most likely.’

He told the court he had no knowledge of messages between Michael Broddle and Sode and had no involvement in the incident on 14 September at Gray’s Inn.

Nuttall, 50, of Romsey, Hants, along with co-defendants Joshua Broddle, 20, Charlie Broddle, 18, both of Hounslow, London, Michael Sode, 58, of Lewisham, London, and George Gray, 25, of Wembley, London, all deny any involvement.

Michael Broddle, 46, of Hounslow, London, has accepted he placed the devices.

Nuttall, Michael Sode and Broddle’s sons Charlie and Joshua are accused of being involved in the ‘criminal plan’. All four deny all allegations.

Nuttall, Sode, and Charlie and Joshua Broddle are charged with conspiracy to place an article with intent with the intention of inducing in another a belief that the said article was likely to explode or ignite and thereby cause personal injury or damage to property; and conspiracy to transfer criminal property.

Nuttall and Sode are also charged with failing to comply with a notice when they knowingly failed to disclose the PIN or passcode to a digital storage device.

Charlie Broddle is also charged with possessing an explosive substance.

The trial continues.