LONDON, ENGLAND - THREE men accused of plotting to kill transatlantic airline passengers by detonating liquid explosives have changed their pleas at the last minute.

They are now pleading guilty to lesser charges but maintain that they never intended to attack the flights.

The suspects, who had maintained their innocence since the trial began three months ago, appealed to the jury to believe that they wanted to stage an elaborate publicity stunt to promote a film - not commit mass murder.

The pleas came as closing legal arguments began on Monday at Woolwich Crown Court in London, where the case is expected to go to the jury within days.

Prosecutor Peter Wright dismissed the changed pleas, saying they sought to disguise the men's 'true motive' of committing 'wholesale murder'.

'This was no propaganda video, no documentary, no exercise or stunt. This was for real,' he said.

Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 27, Assad Sarwar, 28, and Tanvir Hussain, 27 , pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiring to set off explosions, but said they were innocent of conspiracy to commit murder. The trio, along with two other defendants - Ibrahim Savant, 27, and Umar Islam, 30 - have also admitted to 'conspiring to cause a public nuisance' by publishing the alleged martyrdom videos.

Prosecutors accuse the five - along with three other co-defendants - of planning a mid-air bombing that would 'shock the world'. The jury must now decide whether the eight are also guilty of conspiring to murder thousands of passengers.

The plot, uncovered in 2006, changed security procedures around the world. Security guards examined every bag by hand, while passengers disposed of bottles of water, wine and even perfume.

ASSOCIATED PRESS, NEW YORK TIMES