Piotr Kucharski, a 49-year-old builder, has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for falsely claiming affiliation with the Wagner group, a proscribed terrorist organization, during a Viking re-enactment in Stonham Aspal, Suffolk. Kucharski, who appeared in combat gear adorned with Wagner group insignia, became confrontational, threatening attendees with a dagger and making threatening gestures.
Kucharski’s arrest followed his aggressive actions and claims shared both at the event and on social media, where he repeatedly stated he had fought for the Wagner group in Ukraine. During a search of his residence, authorities found Nazi-era paraphernalia, including a picture of Adolf Hitler and a copy of Mein Kampf, which he claimed were kept as part of a World War II memorabilia collection.
The Old Bailey heard that Kucharski had adorned his attire with the extremist symbols to provoke reactions due to differing views on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Despite his assertions of merely engaging in provocative behavior, the court convicted him of supporting a terrorist organization. The judge emphasized the serious nature of using terrorist affiliations to incite fear, dismissing claims that Kucharski’s actions were mere bravado.
