A 22-year-old Ukrainian man has been found guilty of arson for setting fires at properties in north London that were connected to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The attacks occurred over a five-day period in May 2024.
"Such offences are intended to intimidate and undermine public confidence."
— Frank Ferguson, CPS Special Crime Division
Verdict
Roman Lavrynovych, 22, was found guilty at London's Old Bailey court of two counts of arson, being reckless as to whether life was endangered. Both Lavrynovych and Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit arson. A third defendant, Petro Pochynok, 35, was acquitted of the same charge.
Lavrynovych was found not guilty of a separate charge of arson with intent to endanger life. Sentencing is scheduled for Friday.
Incident Details
Between May 2023 and May 2024, police responded to fires at three locations:
- A house in north London connected to Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
- A nearby property where Starmer previously lived.
- A Toyota car that formerly belonged to Starmer.
At the time of the attacks, Starmer’s sister-in-law was still residing in one of the targeted properties.
Role of 'EL Money'
The court heard that Lavrynovych was contacted via the messaging platform Telegram by an account using the name 'EL Money.' The account communicated in both Russian and Ukrainian and offered payment for the arson.
Carpiuc's role involved planning the attacks and receiving payment. The prosecution did not identify who or what entity was behind the 'EL Money' account. Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson told the court that determining the identity or motive of 'EL Money' was not a matter for the jury to consider.
Statements from Officials
Helen Flanagan, head of counter-terrorism policing in London, stated that there was no evidence linking the attacks to Russian state backing.
Frank Ferguson, head of the Crown Prosecution Service's (CPS) Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, described the acts as deliberate and dangerous arson that posed a serious risk to life, adding that such offences are intended to intimidate and undermine public confidence.