Earl has been charged under the National Security Act 2003 A British man has been charged with plotting arson attacks on Ukraine-linked businesses in London after allegedly being recruited as a Russian spy. David Earl, 20, is accused of being the mastermind behind a huge fire on an industrial estate in Leyton, east London, on March 20. Four other men – Paul English, Nil Mensah, Jake Reeves and Dmitrijus Paulauska – have also been charged in connection with the case.
He is also accused of undertaking fraudulent activity, research and reconnaissance of targets, and attempting to recruit individuals to materially assist a foreign intelligence service carrying out UK-related activities. A CPS statement said: ‘Included in the alleged activity was involvement in the planning of an arson attack on a Ukrainian-linked commercial property in March 2024.