Six men went on trial in London on June 4 over an arson attack on a business that supplied Starlink satellite equipment to Ukraine, in a case that prosecutors say is linked to Russia’s Wagner mercenary group.
Jakeem Rose, 23; Ugnius Asmena, 20; Nii Mensah, 23; and Paul English, 61; deny charges of aggravated arson. Two other men, Ashton Evans, 20, and Dmitrijus Paulauskas, 23, deny withholding information about an upcoming terrorist attack.
Penny said the evidence against the men who were on trial was “overwhelming.”
“This was deliberate and calculated criminality, at the behest of foreign influence,“ Penny said. ”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 court heard that the fire caused damage that would cost about 1 million pounds ($1.35 million) to an industrial unit in Leyton, in east London.
Jurors were told that the attack was orchestrated by Dylan Earl, 20, and Jake Reeves, 23. Both have already pleaded guilty to aggravated arson and offenses under the National Security Act 2023.
Penny said Earl was the “architect” of the attack and had been recruited by the Wagner Group via a channel on the messaging app Telegram.
The prosecutor 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, and for Russian, interests.”
Earl and Reeves were the first people to be charged under Britain’s National Security Act 2023, which created new measures to combat political interference, espionage, and working for foreign intelligence services.
Penny said the gang planned to carry out arson attacks on two other businesses in the upscale neighborhood of Mayfair in central London.
He said the targets were a wine shop called Hedonism and a restaurant called Hide, which were both owned by a wealthy Russian dissident who had criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine.
Penny said the tycoon, whom he did not name, had also driven aid trucks from Britain to Ukraine.
Penny told the jury the evidence against the six defendants on trial on June 4 included CCTV footage, traffic cameras, and phone evidence.
He said Mensah filmed the arson attack on his smartphone and live-streamed it on FaceTime.
Penny said cameras captured Rose and Mensah getting out of a Kia Picanto, driven by English, then climbing over a wall and approaching the industrial unit in Leyton.
Trucker Tried to Extinguish Blaze
A truck driver, who was parked overnight nearby, unsuccessfully tried to put out the fire and showed immense bravery, Penny said.The prosecutor told the jury that Rose dropped a knife at the scene, which had his DNA on it. He said Mensah later sent a message to Reeves that said, “L9 [Rose’s nickname] left his Rambo at the scene.”
Penny said Earl explained to Reeves that the Wagner Group wanted to burn down warehouses as they sent trucks to Ukraine.
Penny said Earl and Reeves had also been asked by the Wagner Group to kidnap the tycoon and take him back to Russia.
The jury was told that, in an apparent reference to payment for the explosion and kidnap plots, they discussed “5K” for “boom,” and “50k” for “napping.”
Earl said the Wagner Group intended to kidnap the tycoon and take him to Russia “to face prison,” the court heard.
In Britain, the prosecution outlines the case at the start of a trial, and the defense case only emerges later.
The trial is ongoing and is expected to last several weeks.
