Man in Court Accused of Plotting Arson Attack on Home of Pakistani Dissident in Cambridge
A man has appeared at the Old Bailey accused of being involved in a plot to set fire to the home of a Pakistani dissident living in the UK.
Last updated 27th Mar 2026
Dylan Martin, a thirty-three year old, faces charges of possessing a firearm and two counts of conspiracy to commit arson with intent or being reckless as to whether life was endangered.
The case is linked to an alleged attack on New Year’s Eve at the Cambridge home of Mirza Shahzad Akbar, a former cabinet member under jailed ex-Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan.
Prosecutors say a car was driven to Mr Akbar’s house where two people got out—one allegedly fired a shot through the front door, while another is said to have tried to push a lit rag through a window.
Martin is accused of hiring the vehicle for the attack and was arrested on January fifth.
Doneto Brammer, aged twenty-one from Wood Green in north London, is accused of being the person with the lit rag. The identity of the alleged gunman remains unknown.
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb has ruled that Martin’s case will be joined with Brammer’s, who faces similar charges.
Both men are due to stand trial at Birmingham Crown Court from June sixth next year.
Martin is set to enter a plea on July seventeenth and has been remanded in custody.