Six Britons acting for the Wagner mercenary group linked to Russia have been sentenced to prison for igniting a London-based warehouse that was holding relief supplies destined for Ukraine.
Sentencing and Roles
While delivering the sentences, the judge at the Old Bailey remarked that they had orchestrated a “series of terrorist and sabotage acts” in the interests of the Russian government.
Dylan Earl was given a seventeen-year prison sentence with an additional six years on supervised release due to his “leading role”. Another defendant, Jake Reeves, from Croydon in south London, was sentenced to twelve years in prison with one year on extended licence. Their admitted crimes made them the first individuals to be found guilty under the 2023 National Security Act.
Jakeem Rose, also from Croydon, was sentenced to eight years and 10 months. Nii Mensah, from Thornton Heath, south London, was sentenced to nine years and Ugnius Asmena, 21, who was without a fixed address, was given seven years. These three individuals were each found guilty of serious fire-setting and received a additional year on extended licence by the judge.
Ashton Evans drug dealer hailing from Newport, Gwent, was jailed for nine years plus a further year on extended licence after being convicted of failing to disclose information about terrorist acts connected to a separate scheme in Mayfair.
Details of the Attack
The arson attack on a warehouse in Leyton, east London put 60 firefighters at risk and resulted in £1m in damage in March last year.
The proceedings revealed that Earl, 21 and Reeves, 24 remained in their residences while organising the attack for the Wagner group, representing the Russian Federation.
The individuals involved selected the warehouse because it was being used to supply emergency relief and satellite communication gear to Ukraine.
When the identical Ukrainian firm was subjected to an intentional fire ten days afterward in Madrid, detectives from the Met’s counter-terrorism command took over the probe.
Proof and Additional Schemes
When Earl was taken into custody, law enforcement examination of his mobile phone uncovered he had videos of the warehouse fire being started and was in communication with the Wagner group on the Telegram messaging app, via an account with the handles ‘Privet Bot’ and ‘Lucky Strike alias’.
Some of the messages showed that preliminary surveillance for further “missions”, involving fire-related incidents at a restaurant and wine store in Mayfair owned by the Russian opposition figure Evgeny Chichvarkin had already been carried out. The use of explosives to harm structures was also discussed.
Detectives discovered that Earl was also raising the potential abduction of the dissident Chichvarkin and “exiling him back to Russia to confront imprisonment”.
The individual involved in narcotics from Elmesthorpe in Leicestershire had discussed an additional planned incident in the Czech Republic.
In a residence inspection, police found a Russian flag, more than £20,000 in cash and cocaine with a street value of about £34,000.
Driving Factors and Court Comments
The proceedings revealed he was a member of multiple pro-Russian propaganda channels and was driven by “plain and severe avarice”.
“This legal matter concerns the attempts by the Russian government to acquire harmful worldwide sway using social media to recruit disruptors vast distances from Moscow.”
She determined the fire incident had a “terrorist connection” irrespective of if the perpetrators knew it. The Wagner group is banned by the British authorities as a terrorist group.
