Eastleigh business owner tells jurors how accused made confession

Murray Smith, who runs Auto Perfection on the Allington Manor Business Park, said Robert White admitted that he had “gone a little bit too far” and planted the device underneath the Vauxhall Vectra which belonged to the neighbour of his aunt and uncle.

The 19-year-old told his elder brother’s partner – who was at his business premises – what he had done.

Mr Smith said: “He said something on the lines that he had put the bomb I had seen the night before under the car.

“It was clear he had planted the device he had made the night before under the car, and the explosion had lifted the car on to a van.

“He also said his aunt and uncle had been arrested.”

Southampton Crown Court has heard that relations between the Vauxhall Vectra’s owner, who lived next door to White’s relatives in Chadwick Road, Eastleigh, were strained at the time.

Mr Smith described how White had earlier exploded a square-shaped device about 12-18in long with a green fuse sticking out of it in the field behind his unit.

He said: “There was a big bang, and I mean a big bang – a lot of sparks and smoke. I wasn’t happy about it.

Detonators “He had some capsules with him he called ‘dets’ which I presume were detonators.

“He let one off in the road but it didn’t make much noise.”

Jurors heard that the following night, White went to Mr Smith’s business, where his brother worked part-time.

He had scaffolding tube about 18in long with strands of metal on it. He went away but returned with the tube cut into two sections and took one away.

Hours after the explosion in Chadwick Road, he turned up at his unit and told his brother’s partner that he had “gone a little too far”.

After he had gone, police came and asked Mr Smith he knew of White’s whereabouts and if he had been to the yard that day.

White, of Truro Rise, Eastleigh, denies causing an explosion and endangering life or causing serious injury to property.

Proceeding.