Man convicted of petrol bomb attack on migrant hotel

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 29 Oct, 12:10 · Archive

Mark Neville, 65, has been convicted of throwing a petrol bomb at a migrant hotel in Islington, north London.

Mark Neville, 65, has been convicted of throwing a petrol bomb at the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in Islington. CCTV footage captured him dressed in all black and a balaclava lighting the handmade device in a nearby doorway before walking to the hotel and throwing it over the gate. The device exploded near bins at the entrance but was quickly extinguished by security guards. No one was injured in the attack.

Police tracked Neville from the scene to his flat using hundreds of hours of CCTV footage. The Daily Mail reports that officers later found him with a lock knife and stun gun five minutes from the hotel. Forensic evidence linked him to the attack, with his DNA found on glass fragments from the petrol bomb. A specialist fire investigation dog named Simba helped officers locate a glove containing Neville's DNA in a nearby bin, which also contained trace amounts of medium petroleum distillate, the flammable chemical used in the device.

The Daily Mail reports that police searches of Neville's flat uncovered internet searches and messages relating to far-right activists, migration and asylum seekers. According to the outlet, Neville initially denied throwing the bomb but later said 'Go on then, f*** it, it was me' after being shown the CCTV footage.

How it is being reported

• Moment man throws petrol bomb in London asylum seeker hotel attackMark Neville, 65, has pleaded guilty to attempted arson after launching a petrol bomb at the Thistle City Barbican in Islington, London, which was housing asylum seekersThe Mirror · 29 Oct, 13:11
• Moment anti-migrant protester hurls petrol bomb at hotel housing up to 500 asylum seekersMark Neville wore all black and a balaclava as he clutched a plastic bag close to his chest and crouched down outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in Islington, north London, on September 25 last year.Daily Mail · 29 Oct, 11:57
• Horrifying moment man throws petrol bomb at migrant hotel in north LondonCCTV shows moment Mark Neville threw a petrol bomb towards the migrant hotel in IslingtonEvening Standard · 29 Oct, 07:48

In this story: Mark Neville · Met Police · Thistle City Barbican Hotel · Islington · Simba

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log