LONDON: A man pleaded guilty on Friday to carrying out an arson attack on a London commercial property linked to Ukraine, as well as to an offense under the National Security Act, which the prosecutors have tied to Russia.
Dylan Earl, 20, admitted to a charge of aggravated arson involving premises owned by a “Mr. X” on an industrial estate in east London in March. He intended to destroy the building and acted recklessly regarding the potential endangerment of lives.
Earl also pleaded guilty to preparations for “an act endangering the life of a person or creating a serious risk to public health or safety in the United Kingdom,” in violation of the new National Security Act (NSA) aimed at combating hostile activities by foreign states.
He denied a further NSA charge of assisting a foreign intelligence service, while three other men also denied the aggravated arson charge.
Prosecutor Duncan Penny informed London’s Old Bailey court that the third charge against Earl would not be pursued, noting that the penalty for the other NSA offense carries a longer maximum sentence of life imprisonment. He indicated that the allegation would be considered during sentencing for the other offense.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) previously stated that Earl was “alleged to have engaged in conduct targeting businesses linked to Ukraine to benefit the Russian state.”
