A British man accused of working for Russia’s Wagner Group admitted torching a Ukrainian business today in the first conviction under new spy laws.
Dylan Earl is the first person to be convicted under the new National Security Act brought in last year to target those working secretly for hostile states within the UK.
The 20-year-old from Leicestershire was arrested after an industrial unit in London advertised on charity websites as an aid collection centre for the war in Ukraine was torched earlier this year.
It was described at the time as the first attack orchestrated by the Wagner Group on British soil.
Earl was accused of orchestrating the attack on a Ukrainian-owned parcel firm in return for payment from the notorious mercenary group.
Pictured: Dylan Earl. The 20-year-old from Leicestershire was arrested after an industrial unit in London advertised on charity websites as an aid collection centre for the war in Ukraine was torched earlier this year
Arson attack at industrial units in Leyton, East London owned by a Ukrainian businessman
Yesterday Earl admitted aggravated arson and preparatory conduct by endangering the life of a person or an act creating serious risk to the health or safety of the British public under the National Security Act.
But he denied a charge of assisting a foreign intelligence service, which will lie on file.
Prosecutor Duncan Penny, KC, said this matter would not be proceeded with, but suggested wider offending related to the National Security Act offence will be considered when he is sentenced at a later date.
At an earlier hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court, Prosecutor David Cawthorne outlined how Earl had been recruited online by the Wagner group to carry out the attack to send a ‘message’ on behalf of Russia that assistance to Ukraine will be met with ‘punishment’.
He accused Earl of joining a broadcast channel on Telegram ‘for the Wagner Group, and from there, he became connected to an individual aligned to the Wagner Group.’
He told the court: ‘Mr Earl acted as a conduit.
‘He was recruited online by those acting on behalf of Russia and the terrorist organisation the Wagner group to recruit others and engage in malign activity.
‘The arson which caused a significant fire in a commercial premises was intended to send out the message that if you assist Ukraine there will be punishment to follow.’
He added that Earl ‘expressed a willingness to undertake missions for the Wagner Group’ and was ‘tasked by his handler to provide information on specific people and locations in the UK.’
Mr Cawthorne said Earl’s motivation appeared to be the ‘accumulation of wealth and status and the associated lifestyle it would bring.’
Yesterday Earl admitted aggravated arson and preparatory conduct by endangering the life of a person or an act creating serious risk to the health or safety of the British public under the National Security Act
Following his arrest on 10 April police investigated Earl’s phone and found enquiries linked to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Wagner Group along with arson and cryptocurrency.
His phone allegedly contained images of a pistol, magazine and bullets while another screenshot showed a crypto currency account holding £58,425.80.
An arson attack video was also stored on his iPhone.
Earl was alleged to have recruited other men to pour petrol over the shutter of the warehouses which are owned by a Ukrainian logistics firm.
Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters spent more than four hours tackling the blaze at the two industrial units in Leyton, East London owned by a Ukrainian businessman which started just before midnight on March 20.
Mr Cawthorne added: ‘We are not saying they knew this, but there was actually a lorry driver asleep in his cab at the time. He was alerted to the fire and called the emergency services managing to get out.
‘It was a significant fire causing serious damage and numerous fire engines attended.’
Earl now faces a potential life sentence after admitting preparatory conduct contrary to section 18 of the National Security Act 2023, between 1 February 2024 and 18 April 2024, namely an act endangering the life of a person or an act creating serious risk to the health or safety of the public in the United Kingdom, engaged in conduct in preparation for the commission of such an act.
Earl will be sentenced at a date to be determined.
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