London - Two brothers in their 60s pleaded not guilty in the Old Bailey yesterday to carrying out the so-called "mardi gra" bombing and blackmail campaign against banks and supermarkets across London. Mr Edgar Eugene Pearce (61), unemployed, denied 20 charges of blackmail, possession of explosives and home-made firearms and assault. Mr Ronald Russell Pearce (67), retired, denied nine similar counts. Both men are from Chiswick, west London. They were remanded in custody until their trial, provisionally scheduled for April 7th.
The charges relate to a three-year campaign of blackmail against London branches of Barclays Bank and Sainsbury's supermarket, in which home-made bombs were planted outside stores or sent through the mail.