The ringleader behind an arson attack and plot to kidnap a billionaire Russian dissident had been "groomed" by a chatbot, operated by Wagner mercenaries, a court was 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 two people to burn down an exclusive restaurant and wine dealership in Mayfair and to kidnap Evgeny Chichvarkin, the billionaire owner.

Image: Two units in the Crom

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