Ringleader behind arson attack and kidnap plot was 'groomed' by Russian chatbot, court told

Ringleader behind arson attack and kidnap plot was 'groomed' by Russian chatbot, court told

Dylan Earl, 21, a builder and part-time drug dealer, has been cast by his defence as a cannabis-smoking gamer who was involved in "desperate, pathetic and delusional" message exchanges with a Russian chatbot controlled by the Wagner Group.

Leicestershire terror attack organiser was ‘easy meat’ for operatives working for Russian state, court told

Dylan Earl, 21, has admitted planning the arson attack on industrial units

Warehouse terror attack organiser was ‘easy meat’ for Wagner Group, court told

Dylan Earl, from Elmesthorpe, Leicestershire, was working under the instruction of the proscribed Wagner Group, the Old Bailey was told. The orchestrator of a terror attack on a warehouse providing aid to Ukraine was “easy meat” for sophisticated Wagner Group operatives working for the Russian state, a court has heard. Dylan Earl, 21, has admitted planning the arson attack on industrial units in Leyton, east London, on March 20 last year. It too…

Ringleader Behind Arson Attack And Kidnap Plot Was 'groomed' By Russian Chatbot, Court Told

The Old Bailey heard the fire at an industrial estate in Leyton, East London, on 20 March 2024, caused an estimated £1m of damage, including to vital Starlink satellite equipment destined for Ukraine. Dylan Earl, 21, a builder and part-time drug dealer who lived with his parents in Elmesthorpe, Leicestershire, has admitted his role in orchestrating the attack by recruiting others to carry it out. During his trial, the court heard he also tasked …