'Russian spy' accused of working for Wagner Group appears in court
An alleged spy accused of carrying out an arson attack for Russia’s Wagner Group appeared in court today.
Dylan Earl is alleged to have torched an industrial unit in London, which was advertised on charity websites as an aid collection centre for the war in Ukraine.
The 20-year-old from Leicestershire is the first person to be charged under the new National Security Act brought in last year to target those working secretly for hostile states within the UK.
He is accused of recruiting other Britons who were paid by a ‘foreign intelligence service’ to start the blaze to send a ‘message’ on behalf of Russia that assistance to Ukraine will be met with ‘punishment’.
It is said to be the first attack orchestrated by the Wagner Group on British soil.
Dylan Earl is alleged to have torched an industrial unit in London , which was advertised on charity websites as an aid collection centre for the war in Ukraine
Today Earl appeared on a videolink from Belmarsh Prison for a brief hearing at the Old Bailey.
Mr Justice Jeremy Baker told the defendant that he will go on trial next year before a High Court judge at the Old Bailey.
The case concerns an attack on two industrial units in Leyton owned by a Ukrainian logistics firm on March 20.
Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters spent more than four hours tackling the blaze which was allegedly started by a group of men recruited by Earl.
Jake Reeves, 22 from Croydon, south London is accused of accepting money from Russia to carry out the arson attack.
He has been charged with aggravated arson and agreeing to accept a material benefit, namely money, from a foreign intelligence service.
Paul Adrian English, 60, from Roehampton and Nii Kojo Mensah, 21, from Croydon are also charged with aggravated arson.
But they are said to be unaware that Earl was allegedly working for the Wagner Group, which became a proscribed terror group in the UK last year.
A fifth man, Dmitrijus Paulauskas, a 22-year-old pilot who has dual British-Russian nationality, is also charged with failing to disclose information to police about terrorist acts.
The case concerns an attack on two industrial units in Leyton owned by a Ukrainian logistics firm on March 20
Paulauskas appeared in court for the hearing today.
But English was unable to attend as he was taken from prison to hospital due to an ongoing medical problem.
Reeves and Mensah also did not appear as they were not brought to the court from prison due to an error by security staff.
Earl did not enter any pleas to the charges, which include assisting a foreign intelligence service by carrying out reconnaissance of targets, preparatory conduct and aggravated arson ‘in relation to activity intended to benefit Russia’.
The judge set a provisional eight week trial date for 2 June 2025.
At a previous hearing, Prosecutor David Cawthorne outlined the case: ‘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.’
The five defendants will next appear for a pre-trial hearing on 4 October.
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