Pensioner faces war crimes charges at Old Bailey

Szymon Serafinowicz, an 85-year-old refugee accused of murdering Jews more than 50 years ago, is led into the Old Bailey yesterday, to stand trial in Britain's first ever war crimes case.

He faces three charges of killing Jews during the German occupation of Belorussia, now Belarus, in the winter of 1941-42.

The grey-haired retired carpenter from Banstead, Surrey, spoke just once, to confirm his name, during the 36-minute hearing in court number one before Mr Justice Potts.

Serafinowicz, who was wearing a maroon V-neck jumper, blue check shirt, beige jacket and brown trousers with suede shoes, was allowed to leave the dock and sit in the well of the court for most of the appearance because of a hearing problem. He did not enter any pleas.

The first charge claims that on 9 November, 1941, Serafinowicz "a person resident in the UK on the 8th day of March, 1990, in Mir, Belorussia, a town then under German occupation, murdered a Jew [unknown] in circumstances constituting a violation of the laws and customs of war".

The second allegation, worded in similar terms, alleged the offence was committed between 31 December and 1 March, 1942, in the village of Kryiczne.

The last charge states that between 1 January, 1942 and 2 May the same year, he murdered a third unknown Jew in Dolmatowszczyzna, another village under German occupation.

John Nutting QC, prosecuting, told the court that the full trial, due to start on 6 January next year, was expected to last between two and three months.

However, a preliminary hearing has been fixed for 16 October. Serafinowicz was granted conditional bail