Two men, Roman Lavrynovych (22) and Stanislav Carpiuc (27), were convicted at the Old Bailey of conspiring to carry out arson attacks on a car and properties linked to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. The incidents occurred in May 2025, including a vehicle set on fire in Kentish Town and fires at properties in Islington and Kentish Town, one of which was rented to the prime minister's sister-in-law who was at home when the blaze occurred. Prosecutors say Lavrynovych was recruited by a Russian-speaking Telegram contact known as "El Money," who promised payment and messaged after the final attack; a third defendant was acquitted.
Two Men Convicted Over Arson Attacks Linked To Sir Keir Starmer
Two men have been convicted at the Old Bailey for conspiring to carry out arson attacks on a car and properties linked to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
An Old Bailey jury found Ukrainian national Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Ukrainian-born Romanian national Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, guilty of conspiring to damage property by fire. A third defendant, Petro Pochynok, 35, was acquitted of conspiracy charges.
Details Of The Incidents
Prosecutors said the incidents began on 8 May 2025, when a Toyota previously owned by Sir Keir was discovered ablaze on a Kentish Town street where he once lived. Over the next few days, fires were set at flats in Islington and at the entrance to a property in Kentish Town that the prime minister still owns and rents to his sister-in-law.
On 12 May, the sister-in-law and her family were inside the Kentish Town property when, the court was told, Lavrynovych set the entrance on fire.
Role Of A Telegram Contact
The court heard that Lavrynovych had been recruited online by a Russian-speaking Telegram contact using the alias "El Money" (saved in his phone as "El Money" or EL). Prosecutors say the contact promised payment — including cryptocurrency — and had previously instructed Lavrynovych to put up far-right posters. After the final attack, messages from the Telegram contact included: "there is news, you'll get crypto" and "you need to throw away the clothes," and later advised him to leave the city.
Legal Outcome
Lavrynovych was acquitted of charges alleging he damaged property by fire with intent to endanger life on 11 and 12 May 2025, but was convicted on alternative counts of damaging property by fire recklessly as to whether life was endangered. Carpiuc was also convicted of conspiracy to damage property by fire. Pochynok was found not guilty of conspiracy to commit arson.
Prosecutors told jurors that it was not their task to identify who "El Money" was or to speculate about that person's motives. They also said the defendants displayed no clear political or ideological motive and that whether the accused knew the properties were linked to the prime minister was not central to the charges.
Note: Sentencing details were not provided in the material presented at trial and are not included here.
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