Kevin Rees, a 63-year-old retired electrical appliances engineer from Harcourt Avenue, Sidcup, has been jailed for 15 years after he blew up one of Sadiq Khan's ULEZ enforcement cameras in an explosion linked to terrorism. The sentence was handed down at the Old Bailey on Friday, October 2, following his conviction in January after a trial at Woolwich Crown Court.
The improvised explosive device detonated at about 6.45pm on December 6, 2023, near the camera in his south London hometown. The blast damaged cars and property up to 100 metres away, with shrapnel striking the outside of a child's bedroom. Scotland Yard said it was a miracle no one was killed or injured by the explosion.
Terrorism connection and sentencing
The judge ruled that the incident had a "terrorism connection", which led to a tougher sentence and means Rees will face strict controls upon his release from prison. Det Ch Supt James Derham said: "It was miraculous nobody was killed or seriously injured in the large explosion caused by Rees. He showed a complete disregard for the welfare and safety of the people who live in, or were travelling through, the area at the time of the explosion – all because he was unhappy with the ULEZ scheme."
Derham added that CCTV from a bus travelling down the road at the time of the explosion shows it narrowly missed being hit by debris by seconds. Rees was also given a three-year sentence, to run concurrently, after he admitted three counts of having a prohibited weapon after three homemade stun guns were found at his address.
Investigation and trial details
Counter-terrorism police were called in to investigate the blast and identified Rees, who was a prolific poster of anti-ULEZ content on social media. During the trial, jurors heard that detectives found Rees had travelled in his Smart car from his home in Sidcup to Shuttle Close shortly after 6.20pm on December 6, 2023. The camera had been installed earlier that day, but in an unrelated incident had been cut down by another person, who was also identified and convicted.
Police said Rees walked the short distance from his car to the camera, planted the device and lit a fuse. He was then seen by a witness walking quickly away from the scene. Rees was arrested on December 18, 2023, and his home was searched. Detectives also analysed his social media activity and found he had posted numerous times about ULEZ cameras and encouraged others to damage them, according to the Met Police.
Rees's defence and reactions
During the trial, Rees denied all involvement, telling jurors he believed his arrest was linked to his participation in "anti-ULEZ" groups on Facebook. He told the court he "strongly opposed" ULEZ and the Mayor of London, Lord Sadiq Khan, saying: "I dislike him, dislike what he has done to London." When arrested, he asked officers if his arrest had "something to do with the anti-ULEZ sites" and told his trial: "There was only one explosion that was on the news and that was the one in Sidcup... I assumed it was just the so-called Facebook police. People you hear being arrested for making bad or inappropriate comments on Facebook pages – that's well-known, as it's been on the news. The thing is, I didn't actually do anything wrong."
Rees told jurors he joined "anti-ULEZ" Facebook groups and pages out of "boredom" and because it provided him with a sense of community. Bethan David, former head of the Crown Prosecution Service's counter-terrorism division, said: "This was not an act of protest or momentary vandalism. This was a deliberate and dangerous attack involving a homemade explosive device, carried out in a residential street and designed to destroy public infrastructure."
David added: "Kevin Rees knowingly and intentionally placed an explosive device next to the ULEZ camera, lit the fuse and retreated before the explosion, showing clear planning and an obvious disregard for the safety of others. Whatever his views on the ULEZ scheme, Kevin Rees crossed a serious line by constructing a homemade bomb and detonating it in a public place. It was pure chance that no-one suffered serious injury, or worse."
Siwan Hayward, TfL's Director of Security, Policing and Enforcement, said: "This was a reckless and highly dangerous act that could have caused serious harm and resulted in the loss of life. We welcome this sentencing and hope it acts as a warning to others." ULEZ requires drivers to pay a daily charge based on how polluting the emissions from their vehicle are. The scheme sparked a furious backlash after it was rolled out to cover the whole of London in 2023, with cameras used by Transport for London (TfL) to monitor cars entering and exiting the zone, triggering fines for motorists who have not paid the daily charge.
