Briton appears in court charged with targeting Ukrainian-linked firms in London
A BRITISH man accused of orchestrating arson attacks on Ukrainian-linked businesses in London on behalf of the proscribed terror organisation the Wagner Group is set to face trial next year.
Dylan Earl has been charged under the National Security Act 2023 – the first case to involve alleged offences under the new spy laws.
Yesterday, Mr Justice Jeremy Baker, sitting at the Old Bailey, set a date of June 2, 2025 for Mr Earl and four other men to appear for an eight-week trial.
The 20-year-old is accused of being in contact with a handler in the Wagner Group before carrying out reconnaissance of targets “in relation to activity intended to benefit Russia”.
Mr Earl appeared via videolink at the hearing.
Dmitrijus Paulauska, 22, who is charged with failing to disclose information to police about terrorist acts, spoke to confirm his personal details when he appeared in the dock on conditional bail.
Co-defendant Jake Reeves, 22, is accused of accepting cash knowing it was from a foreign intelligence service.
Two other defendants, 60-year-old Paul English and 21-year-old Nii Mensah, have also been charged with aggravated arson.
The court was told Mr English had been “taken ill” and transported to hospital yesterday morning while Mr Mensah and Mr Reeves were late being brought to court from prison. A plea hearing is due to take place at the Old Bailey on October 4.
After news emerged of the charge, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it had summoned Russia’s ambassador to the UK Andrey Kelin.
Court documents show Mr Earl is accused of recruiting and paying others to carry out an arson attack at an industrial unit in Leyton, east London, on Ukrainian-linked businesses owned by Oddisey and Meest UK.
The March 20 blaze required 60 firefighters to bring it under control.
The Wagner Group, whose former leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash last summer, is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK.