By Tony O’Reilly-
A businessman found guilty of plotting to plant two bombs in London.
Jonathan Nuttall, 50, was convicted of planning to place the explosives in the capital’s legal district over a £1.4m row with the National Crime Agency (NCA).
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Nuttall orchestrated the plot aimed at two NCA lawyers, Andrew Sutcliffe KC and Anne Jeavons, over the seizure of assets where he became upset at the prospect of losing his stately home, Embley Manor in Hampshire.
He was convicted of conspiring with his driver, Michael Sode, and an ex-marine, Michael Broddle, to plant the devices.
Sode, 58, was the “middleman” in the plan who recruited Broddle, to carry out research and reconnaissance on the lawyers, the Old Bailey heard. Broddle placed the two devices in Gray’s Inn in September 2021.
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Broddle was also accused of roping his sons Charlie, 18, Joshua, 21, and George Gray, 25, into the plan, but they were acquitted after a 25-hour jury deliberation.
The 47-year-old admitted planting the devices but didn’t name who he was working for.
The court heard one of the devices was left near a bench and spotted by a porter. It was later found to be “potentially viable” since it contained a smoke grenade.
Another smoke grenade was let off with the second non-viable device near Mr Sutcliffe’s office with the intent to cause “maximum alarm”.
It came with a letter addressed to Mr Sutcliffe, using his old Army nickname “Sooty”, which contained false allegations against him.
The background of the financial dispute between Nuttall and the NCA was thrashed out in court as Mrs Jeavons named his wife Amanda Nuttall who had won £2.4m in the lottery.
Mrs Jeavons said payments to settle the £1.4m order had been rejected by the agency as they possibly came from the proceeds of crime, putting the Nuttalls’ mansion at risk.
The NCA had claimed assets held in Mrs Nuttall’s name and the associated corporate entities were funded from the proceeds of an international money-laundering network and mortgage fraud.
Broddle, who was paid around £7,000 via Sode, was arrested two days after the devices were planted and police seized fireworks, gas canisters, a hat and wig and rubber face masks from his home.
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