Gang ‘live-streamed arson attacks in London’ for Wagner Group

A group of arsonists livestreamed their attack on a business supplying Starlink to Ukraine after the Wagner Group recruited them.

Around £1 million of damage was caused by the blaze at an industrial unit in Leyton, east London, last March 20, the Old Bailey was told.

Dylan Earl, 20, and Jake Reeves, 23, orchestrated the attack and have admitted aggravated arson, done on behalf of the Wagner Group, and an offence under the National Security Act.

Jakeem Rose, 23, Ugnius Asmena, 20, Nii Mensah, 23 and Paul English, 61, were allegedly recruited to set fire to the warehouse.

Duncan Penny KC said the evidence against them was overwhelming – CCTV, traffic cameras and phone evidence all placed the accused at the scene of the fire.

More footage captured Rose and Mensah getting out of the vehicle, climbing over a wall and approaching the warehouses, jurors heard.

Rose is accused of filling a jerry can en route at a petrol station before pouring its contents onto warehouse unit doors and setting them alight.

Mensah filmed the arson attack on his mobile phone and livestreamed it on FaceTime, jurors were told.

It took eight fire crews to bring the blaze at Cromwell Industrial Estate under control. It caused ‘extensive damage’ and risked the lives of people nearby, Mr Penny said.

‘This was deliberate and calculated criminality – at the behest of foreign influence. In the case of these defendants, at the time of the fire, they may have been ignorant of that influence, and the motive may have been financial – good old-fashioned greed.

‘For others, however, it appears to have been both political and ideological.’

The prosecutor said the warehouse was targeted for its connection to Ukraine and the fact that the business was involved in logistics.

The firm frequently delivered goods to Ukraine, including StarLink satellite equipment, and was involved in organising humanitarian aid, the court was told.

Earl was said to be the ‘architect’ of the warehouse attack, and first came into contact with Wagner on a Telegram Channel.

Mr Penny said: ‘It appears that Dylan Earl expressed a willingness to undertake ‘missions’ of which the Leyton arson attack was the first.

‘It is apparent that Dylan Earl knew he was acting against Ukrainian interests, and for Russian interests.’

Once Reeves discovered the motivation behind it, he was prepared to agree to accept money from a foreign intelligence service to target an individual and businesses in the capital, the jury was told.

Earl, of Elmesthorpe, Leicestershire, and Reeves, of Croydon, have admitted plots to set fire to the Hide Restaurant and Hedonism Wines in Mayfair, west London, and kidnapping their owner on behalf of the Wagner Group, the court heard.

‘You might think that it is self-evident that these actions were designed to influence the government and to intimidate at least a section of the public, and were made to advance a political and ideological cause,’ Mr Penny said.

‘It is also relevant that at least one method of attack on the Mayfair premises discussed between Earl and Evans was by way of explosion.’

Rose, of Croydon, Asmena, of no fixed address, Mensah, of Thornton Heath and English, of Roehampton, have denied aggravated arson.

Two other defendants, Ashton Evans, 20, from Newport, Gwent, and Dmirjus Paulauskas, 23, from Croydon, are each charged with two counts of failing to disclose information about terrorist acts, which they deny.

The Old Bailey trial continues.

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