Starmer arson attacks accused did not intend to endanger life, court hears

A Ukrainian man accused of an arson attack on the prime minister's house said he was forced to start the fire and did not intend to endanger anyone's life, the Old Bailey has heard.

Roman Lavrynovych, 22, is accused of targeting two properties and a car linked to Sir Keir Starmer, along with another Ukrainian national Petro Pochynok, 35, and Ukrainian-born Romanian national Stanislav Carpiuc, 27.

Lavrynovych said that he believed there were no people at the property and that he was forced to commit arson by a Russian speaker who recruited him online.

"I did not want to endanger anyone's life", Lavrynovych told the jury at the Old Bailey.

Giving evidence, Roman Lavrynovych said he carried out arson attacks after being recruited online by a Russian-speaking Telegram user called "El Money".

However, he told the court that he "was forced to do that" after being threatened by El Money, and because he needed money for the medical treatment of his father, who is in Ukraine.

All three men, who live in London, are charged with conspiring together - and "with others" - to damage property by fire between 1 April and 13 May 2025.

Lavrynovych, of Lewisham, south-east London, is also charged with damaging property by fire with intent to endanger life on 11 and 12 May 2025 at two properties in north London connected to Sir Keir.

The defendant had been offered £3,000 in cryptocurrency to set the Toyota alight, the court heard previously.

Lavrynovych told the court that he hoped to find that sum in a legitimate way, but when it did not work out he agreed to take on El Money's job.

He said he did not go ahead with the job at the first attempt as he realised that he might "have problems" because of it, but then El Money threatened him.

"His mood changed after I refused to do that job. He said he knew where I lived and who with and that I'd better do it," Lavrynovych said.

The defendant told the court that at that point he got scared for his life and for the life of his grandmother and her elderly female friend who they resided with.

"He told me he was very high-up. Perhaps linked to politics or so," Lavrynovych said, referring to El Money.

There were several people writing from the El Money account, Lavrynovych told the court on Monday: "At least one woman and several men."

According to Lavrynovych, the woman messaged him: "My husband will go and check it", after instructing him to set the Toyota RAV4 on fire.

El Money was not satisfied with the result of the car arson, since "the video [made by another defendant] was just two seconds and did not show the car burning", and because it "was not on the news".

He was then tasked with setting fire to a building on nearby Ellington Street, that jurors previously heard was managed by a company of which the prime minister had once been a director and shareholder.

"He told me it'd look like an office," Lavrynovych explained, "he gave me specific time when there were no people inside."

Lavrynovych thinks that there was more than one man too because he received messages in Russian and in Ukrainian "so there were different people writing them".

On 8 May 2025, a Toyota car previously owned by the prime minister was found on fire on a street he previously lived on in Kentish Town, north London. Three days later, a fire was discovered at flats in nearby Islington linked to Sir Keir.

On 12 May, a fire was discovered at the front entrance to Sir Keir's Kentish Town house - in the same street where the car was set on fire - which was being rented out to his sister-in-law, who was at home with her family at the time.

Jurors have previously been told that, after the final fire, El Money messaged Lavrynovych to say: "Look, you attacked the home of a very high-ranking person in Britain. I'll send you money, you need to leave the city."

Lavrynovych was arrested hours later.

Carpiuc, from Romford, east London, and Pochynok, of Islington, north London, have yet to give their evidence.

The three men have pleaded not guilty to the charges. The trial continues.