Man accused of carrying out attack on behalf of Iran says his friend did it

Man accused of carrying out attack on behalf of Iran says his friend did it40 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleDaniel SandfordUK correspondent, Woolwich Crown CourtReutersNandito Badea, 21, and George Stana, 25, as sketched at Woolwich Crown CourtA Romanian builder accused of stabbing an Iranian opposition journalist in Wimbledon on behalf of Iran has said that it was a friend who wielded the knife.Nandito Badea, 21, told a jury at Woolwich Crown Court that he believed his task had been to carry out surveillance on a man who was suspected of sleeping with another man's wife.He and fellow Romanian George Stana are facing charges of wounding and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm over the stabbing of journalist Pouria Zeraati in March 2024. They both deny the charges.The prosecution say the stabbing had been organised on behalf of Iran.Giving evidence on Friday, Badea said it was his friend David Andrei - who is not on trial - who stabbed the journalist and he had not expected it.Badea told the jury that he started work as a professional footballer while still in his teens, playing for Romanian clubs Astra Giurgiu and CS Blejoi. But he then quit football because of the low pay, and started working in construction.He described being approached after work in February 2024 by two men offering him construction work in the UK.He said Constantin "Bebe" Matache and Catalin Dumitru promised him £3,000 a month, and on 22 February 2024 he flew into Stansted Airport on Ryanair.He and a Romanian friend, Andrei, who travelled with him were put up in a hotel and provided with a car, but the construction work never materialised. The jury has been told that Andrei is not on trial because he could not be extradited from Romania.After a few days, Badea told the jury, it was suggested that he and Andrei should carry out surveillance on a man "to see if Bebe's wife was visiting this gentleman's house." He said they had been...