
UK court convicts 3 men over arson attack authorities say was organized by Russian intelligence
Prosecutors said the March 20, 2024, attack was planned by agents of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, acting on behalf of Russian military intelligence. The British government has deemed Wagner a terrorist organization.
The prosecution said Wagner used British intermediaries to recruit the men to target an industrial unit in Leyton, east London, where generators and StarLink satellite equipment bound for Ukraine were being stored. The StarLinks are frequently used by Ukraine's military in fending off Russia's invasion.
Authorities said the arson was part of a campaign of disruption across Europe that Western officials blame on Moscow and its proxies.
A jury at London's Central Criminal Court found Jakeem Rose, 23; Ugnius Asmena, 20; and Nii Mensah, 23 guilty of aggravated arson. A fourth man, Paul English, 61, was acquitted.
The fire caused around 1 million pounds ($1.35 million) worth of damage. Prosecutors said the attack was orchestrated by Dylan Earl, 21, and Jake Reeves, 23, who pleaded guilty to aggravated arson on behalf of the Wagner Group before the trial started. They also pleaded guilty to offenses under the U.K.'s National Security Act 2023.
Two other men were on trial over the arson and related plots. One was found guilty Tuesday of failing to disclose information about terrorist acts, while the other was cleared.

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The Hill
22 minutes ago
- The Hill
Intel, Epstein investigations grip Washington
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New York Post
22 minutes ago
- New York Post
Former world junior hockey players found not guilty in Canadian sexual assault trial
Former 2018 Team Canada World Junior players Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Michael McLeod were found not guilty of sexual assault in a London, Ontario courtroom Thursday afternoon. McLeod was also found not guilty of a second charge of sexual assault stemming from the same incident in June 2018. Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia announced her decisions in the case on Thursday nearly six weeks after the trial concluded. Advertisement 6 Michael McLeod is seen arriving at the London Courthouse, Thursday, July 24, 2025. AP 6 Alex Formenton seen arriving at the London Courthouse. AP The trial was decided by judge after the jury was dismissed due to allegations of improper conduct by a member of one of the defense teams. The charges related to an incident in which a woman known as E.M., whose identity is protected in Canada by a publication ban, alleged a group sexual assault in a London hotel room at the hands of players who were celebrating their World Juniors victory earlier in the year. Advertisement 6 Supporters of the complainant, E.M., whose identity is protected under a standard publication ban, protest outside the courthouse before a judge announces the verdict in the trial of five members of Canada's 2018 gold medal–winning world junior hockey team. REUTERS As part of her explanation Thursday, Carroccia said she did not find E.M. to be a reliable witness, that her statements were inconsistent, that she exaggerated her level of drunkenness and that she had opportunities to end the night had she chosen to do so. 'I conclude that I cannot rely on [her testimony],' Carroccia told the courtroom, per reporters in London. Advertisement 6 Dillon Dube is seen arriving at the London Courthouse in London. AP 6 Carter Hart is seen arriving at the London Courthouse in London, Ontario, Thursday, July 24, 2025. AP For a sexual assault conviction in Canada, the Crown, which brought the case, needed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that there was non-consensual sexual touching. With the exception of Foote, the main question in the trial was about consent. Advertisement 'Having found that I cannot rely upon the evidence of E.M. and then considering the evidence in this trial as a whole, I conclude that the Crown cannot meet its onus on any of the counts before me,' Carroccia said. 6 Supporters of the complainant, E.M., whose identity is protected under a standard publication ban, protest outside the courthouse before a judge announces the verdict in the trial of five members of Canada's 2018 gold medal–winning world junior hockey team REUTERS None of the five players played in the NHL this past season. McLeod and Dube, who were playing for the Devils and Flames, respectively, when their names were released, played last season in Russia's KHL. Hart took an indefinite leave of absence from the Flyers and his contract expired last summer.


San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Alert: Judge acquits 5 former Canadian junior hockey players in sexual assault case that rattled the nation
LONDON, Ontario (AP) — Judge acquits 5 former Canadian junior hockey players in sexual assault case that rattled the nation.