Full Breakdown
Retired Engineer Sentenced for Terror-Linked Bombing of London ULEZ Camera
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Incident
On December 6, 2023, Kevin Rees – a retired electrical-appliances engineer from Sidcup – placed a homemade explosive beside a newly installed Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) camera on Willersley Avenue. The metal cylinder packed with black-powder-type explosive was ignited with a fuse. The blast projected shrapnel over 100 m, damaging a parked van, a car tyre, a child’s bedroom window frame and a nearby Wendy house. No one was injured, although a bus passed the site seconds before the explosion.
Background & Context
The ULEZ scheme, run by Transport for London, requires drivers of high-emission vehicles to pay a daily charge. In 2023 the zone was expanded to cover all of Greater London, prompting local opposition. Anti-ULEZ activists have previously targeted camera infrastructure; the same day another individual cut down the Sidcup camera with a chainsaw and was later convicted.
Timeline
- ? 6:20 pm, Dec 6 – Rees drives from his home, walks to the camera, plants the device and lights the fuse.
- ? 6:45 pm, Dec 6 – The bomb detonates, sending metal fragments over 100 m.
- Dec 6 – Police recover a photograph on Rees’s phone showing the camera’s installation; the image is deleted on Dec 7.
- Dec 18 – Counter-terrorism officers arrest Rees, search his residence and seize three homemade stun guns, aluminium powder, iron-oxide and other explosive-related materials.
- Jan 2024 – A Woolwich Crown Court jury finds Rees guilty of causing an explosion likely to endanger life and of possessing prohibited weapons.
- Dec 2023 (court hearing) – Judge Anthony Bate rules the offence had a “terrorist connection.”
- Dec 2023 (sentencing) – Rees receives a 15-year custodial term with an additional one year on licence and a concurrent three-year term for prohibited-weapon offences.
Data & Statistics
- Shrapnel travelled > 100 m.
- Damage included a van, a car tyre, a child’s bedroom window frame and a Wendy house.
- No fatalities or serious injuries were reported.
- The court imposed a 15-year custodial term, with an extra year on licence noted in several outlets.
Official Statements & Responses
Prosecutor Simon Denison KC described the location as a residential road with significant vehicle traffic and pedestrians, emphasizing the “sheer chance” that no one was killed. He argued the attack was intended to further an anti-ULEZ political cause, satisfying the legal definition of terrorism.
Detective Chief Superintendent James Derham of the Metropolitan Police called the outcome “miraculous” given the size of the explosion and the proximity of a passing bus.
Criticism & Opposition
No substantive, named criticism of the prosecution’s terrorism finding appears in the source material.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Age: Sources list Rees as 63, 64, and 64 years old.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It was miraculous that nobody was killed or seriously injured in the large explosion caused by Rees,” — Detective Chief Superintendent James Derham.
- “The thing is, I didn’t actually do anything wrong.” — Kevin Rees.
- “Willersley Avenue is a residential avenue with houses on both sides and is a bus route. At that time of day there is significant vehicle trafficking passing through and pedestrians walking past,” — Simon Denison.
What’s Next
The Crown Prosecution Service indicated that the conviction serves as a warning to others who might consider violent protest against public infrastructure. No further court dates or legislative actions are detailed in the sources.