4 days ago
British Wagner spies ‘plotted to kidnap Mayfair restaurant owner'
Two men took money from the Russian-backed Wagner terrorist group to firebomb a Mayfair restaurant and nearby wine store and kidnap the owner, a court has heard.
Dylan Earl, 21, and Jake Reeves, 23, have admitted taking cash from the notorious mercenary organisation to carry out an arson attack at the Hide Restaurant in Piccadilly and Hedonism Wines in Davies Street.
They were also planning to kidnap the owner in order to 'influence the Government' for the 'purpose of advancing a political and ideological cause', the Old Bailey was told.
Details of the kidnap and bombing plot emerged as a group of men, allegedly recruited by the pair, went on trial accused of setting fire to a warehouse in east London that was storing and sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
The court heard the warehouse also contained a business that supplied StarLink satellite equipment to Ukraine.
Earl and Reeves have already admitted their role in the blaze at the premises in Leyton on the evening of March 24 last year, which caused an estimated £1 million worth of damage.
They have also pleaded guilty to plotting to attack the Mayfair restaurant and wine store.
The Wagner Group is a mercenary group set up by the Kremlin in 2014 to help its initial invasion of Ukraine's eastern Donbas. It was proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK in September 2023.
Paul English, 61, Nii Kojo Mensah, 22, Jakeem Barrington Rose, 22, and Ugnius Asmena, 19, deny aggravated arson in connection with the fire at the east London warehouse.
Dmitrijus Paulauskas and Ashton Evans deny two counts of failure to disclose information about terrorist acts.
On the first day of the trial at the Old Bailey, Duncan Penny KC, said the prosecution case was that, acting under the direction of Earl, Reeves had recruited Mr Mensah and Mr Asmena to carry out the warehouse attack.
It is also alleged Mr Mensah in turn recruited Mr Rose, while Mr Asmena recruited Mr English to act as a driver.
Mr Mensah filmed the arson attack on his mobile phone and livestreamed it on FaceTime, jurors were told.
Mr Penny said the fire had caused a 'risk to human life' and destroyed £100,000 worth of goods bound for Ukraine.
He said: 'The reason for the selection of this building as a particular target … appears to have been its connection to Ukraine, to be more precise, the fact that the business conducted there was concerned in logistics, frequently delivering goods to Ukraine, including StarLink satellite equipment.
'The businesses which operated from there were also involved in organising humanitarian aid efforts to support Ukraine.'
Plotter contacted Wagner on social media
The prosecutor went on: 'This was deliberate and calculated criminality – at the behest of foreign influence. 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.'
Describing the circumstances of the warehouse attack, Mr Penny said the company targeted was called Oddisey Ltd and it specialised in receiving and delivering goods ordered by customers mainly in post-Soviet countries.
A company called Meest UK Ltd, the UK arm of a Ukrainian-based shipping company, was also based at the site.
Following Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Oddisey Ltd handled, stored and delivered packages containing Starlink satellite devices and generators.
The businesses were also involved in organising humanitarian aid efforts to support Ukraine, Mr Penny explained.
The prosecutor said in March 2024, Dylan Earl, acting at the behest of the Wagner Group, commissioned the arson attack on the warehouses.
He said: 'Dylan Earl contacted the Wagner Group when he joined a broadcast channel in its name on the social media application Telegram.
'From there, he became connected to two handlers who acted on behalf of the Wagner Group.
'It appears that Dylan Earl expressed a willingness to undertake 'missions' of which the Leyton arson attack was the first. It is apparent that he knew he was acting against Ukrainian, and for Russian, interests.'
Explaining the other plot, Mr Penny said: 'Dylan Earl accepted acting on behalf of the Wagner Group and taking preparatory steps towards committing arson at Hide Restaurant and Hedonism Wines and kidnapping their owner.
'You might think that it is self-evident that these actions were designed to influence the Government and to intimidate at least a section of the public and furthermore were made for the purpose of advancing a political and ideological cause.
'At least one method of attack on the Mayfair premises discussed between Earl and Evans was by way of explosion.'
Mr Penny said Reeves had also admitted an offence under the recently drafted National Security Act of agreeing to accept a material benefit from a foreign intelligence service – money from the Wagner Group that was to be provided by or on behalf of a Russian intelligence service.
Mr Penny went on: 'He agreed to accept the money in return for taking part in the plan to commit arson at Hide Restaurant and Hedonism Wines and to kidnap their owner.'
