Allegations of Arson Targeting Properties Linked to Prime Minister
A Russian-speaking individual allegedly recruited and offered payment to Ukrainian men to carry out arson attacks on properties connected to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, according to court proceedings.
Ukrainian nationals Roman Lavrynovych, aged 22, and Petro Pochynok, aged 35, face accusations of targeting two properties and a vehicle associated with the Prime Minister. Alongside them is Stanislav Carpiuc, a 27-year-old Ukrainian-born Romanian national. All three deny the charges brought against them.
Residing in London, the trio are charged with conspiring together—and with others—to damage property by fire between 1 April and 13 May 2025.
Additionally, Lavrynovych faces charges of damaging property by fire with intent to endanger life on 11 and 12 May 2025 at two north London properties linked to Sir Keir Starmer. He also faces alternative charges of damaging property by fire recklessly as to whether life was endangered.
Details of the Incidents
On 8 May 2025, a car previously owned by the Prime Minister was found ablaze on a street in Kentish Town, north London, where he had formerly resided. Three days later, a fire was discovered at flats connected to Sir Keir in nearby Islington.
Subsequently, on 12 May 2025, a fire was found at the entrance of Sir Keir's Kentish Town residence, which was being rented out at the time.
Prosecutor's Statement
Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson KC stated:
"This case concerns a series of three fires that were deliberately set in a residential area of North London over three nights in May last year."
He further explained:
"Three fires in the same area within five days would be pretty unusual but fires all involving property linked to the same person were beyond a coincidence."
Atkinson elaborated that the car had once belonged to Sir Keir, one house was managed by a company of which the Prime Minister had been a director and shareholder, and the other house remained owned by Sir Keir and was occupied by his sister-in-law.
"The evidence demonstrated that there was here no coincidence. Rather, the vehicle and properties in question had been targeted, and the acts of arson at these locations had been planned and directed, with those involved promised payment for their participation."
Communication Evidence and Involvement of 'El Money'
The prosecutor revealed that analysis of messages from phones recovered from, and connected with, the defendants showed communication between them before and during the relevant period.
Lavrynovych was reportedly offered payment to set the fires by a contact using the name or pseudonym 'El Money' on the Telegram messaging app. Carpiuc also communicated with 'El Money'.
Atkinson noted that 'El Money' communicated in Russian, contrasting with the Ukrainian language otherwise used by the defendants.
He instructed the jurors:
"It is no part of your considerations to decide who 'El Money' is and what reason he might have had to co-ordinate the alleged actions of the defendants."
He added that jurors are not required to determine the motivation behind the defendants' actions.
Furthermore, the prosecutor stated that the defendants had not demonstrated any particular political or ideological motivation, as opposed to a financial one, and that it does not matter whether they knew the properties targeted were connected to the Prime Minister or if that influenced their motivation.
