Kevin Rees, 63, has been jailed for 15 years for blowing up a ULEZ camera in Sidcup, southeast London, in December 2023. The explosion caused shrapnel damage to cars and houses up to 100 metres away.
Explosion and conviction
Rees was convicted in January at Woolwich Crown Court of causing an explosion likely to endanger life. He was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday. During the trial, he told the jury he "strongly opposed" the ULEZ scheme and the mayor of London, Lord Sadiq Khan.
The jury heard that Rees travelled in his Smart car from his home in Sidcup to Shuttle Close, where the ULEZ camera had been installed earlier that day. He planted the device and lit a fuse, and was then seen by a witness walking quickly away from the scene.
Damage and arrest
The explosion blew out the tyre of a nearby car, damaged a nearby wall, front porch, shed and Wendy house, and a piece of metal damaged the window frame of a child's bedroom more than 100 metres away. Despite the extensive damage, nobody was injured in the blast.
Rees was swiftly identified as the suspect and arrested on December 18. Upon searching his home, officers found chemicals that could be used to make explosives and discovered that he had used social media to post numerous times about ULEZ cameras and encouraged the damaging of them. Rees denied any involvement in the explosion, telling jurors he believed his arrest was due to his posts in "anti-Ulez" groups on Facebook.
Sentencing and reactions
Judge Anthony Bate determined that the offence was carried out with a "terrorism connection", resulting in a tougher sentence and stricter controls after Rees's release.
Siwan Hayward, TfL's director of security, policing and enforcement, described Rees's actions as "a reckless and highly dangerous act that could have caused serious harm and resulted in the loss of life". She added: "Tampering with or damaging TfL's property is unacceptable and seriously risks the safety of the public. Those attempting to interfere with ULEZ infrastructure show a complete disregard for the law."
Detective Chief Superintendent James Derham, who leads local policing in the Bexley area, said: "It was miraculous that 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."
