Man admits arson over London fire linked to Russia

A man has admitted carrying out an arson attack on a Ukrainian-owned business in east London on behalf of Russia.

Dylan Earl, 20, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to breaching the National Security Act, and aggravated arson in connection with a blaze at a warehouse in Leyton in March which required 60 firefighters to bring under control.

Mr Earl, from Elmesthorpe in Leicestershire, pleaded not guilty to a third charge of assisting a foreign intelligence service. The prosecution said it would not proceed with that charge.

Five other men from London charged in relation to the fire either denied the charge or were not asked to enter a plea at this stage.

The prosecution allege Mr Earl burned down a warehouse, owned by a man referred to in court as Mr X.

Aggravated arson is where there is a risk that someone’s life could be endangered.

The second offence he admitted was brought under Section 18 of the National Security Act 2023 and is that he had engaged in conduct preparatory to endangering life for the benefit of a foreign power - in this case Russia.

Three other defendants - Nii Mensah, 22, from Thornton Heath, Paul English, 61, from Roehampton, and Jakeem Rose, 22, from Croydon, all pleaded not guilty to aggravated arson.

Their trial is provisionally set for June next year.

Mr Rose admitted simple arson but the prosecution said it would not accept that plea.

Jake Reeves, 23, from Croydon, and Ugnius Asmena, 19, from Wandsworth, have not yet entered a plea to the aggravated arson charge.

Mr Reeves also faces two charges of accepting money from a foreign intelligence service and engaging in conduct preparatory to endangering life for the benefit of a foreign power.

He has not yet entered pleas to those charges either.