Businessman Jonathan Nuttall guilty of plotting to plant bombs in London

A businessman has been 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).

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.

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.

Mrs Jeavons added that Nuttall made it clear “it would be a red line if the NCA sought to recover his home”.

Giving evidence, Nuttall blamed his brother, Philip, for some of his financial troubles and denied having anything to do with a plot against the NCA’s lawyers.

Meanwhile, Sode denied wrongdoing and claimed he was involved in recovering debts from clients of an escort agency business.

Nuttall and Sode were found guilty of two charges of conspiring with Michael Broddle to place an article with intent on or before 14 September 2021.

All three defendants were convicted of conspiring to transfer criminal property.

Nuttall was convicted of two charges of failing to comply with a notice and Sode was found guilty of one similar charge.

The convicted defendants will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on 22 September.