Croydon pair in court after £1m warehouse arson attack

STARLINK SATELLITE EQUIPMENT BEING SUPPLIED TO UKRAINE WAS TARGETED

- By EMILY PENNINK PA Old Bailey Correspondent

ARSONISTS were livestreamed as they set fire to a business supplying StarLink satellite equipment to Ukraine after being recruited by agents for the terrorist Wagner Group, a court has heard.

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. The attack was orchestrated by Dylan Earl, 20, and Jake Reeves, 23, who have admitted aggravated arson on behalf of the Wagner Group and an offence under the National Security Act, jurors heard.

The court was told the pair had gone on to plot more arson attacks on a restaurant and wine shop in Mayfair and the kidnap of their multi-millionaire owner, who was a Russian dissident.

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

Opening their trial on Wednesday, Duncan Penny KC said the evidence against them was “overwhelming”.

He said that CCTV, traffic cameras and phone evidence tracked their journey in English’s Kia Picanto through south London to 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.

Having filled a jerry can en route at a petrol station, Rose poured the contents onto warehouse unit doors and set them alight, it was alleged.

Meanwhile, Mensah filmed the arson attack on his mobile phone and livestreamed it on FaceTime, jurors were told. Jurors were told that a lorry driver parked nearby was bedding down for the night at the time.