Ukrainian started Starmer fires ‘because he was worried about his gran’

A Ukrainian who set fire to two homes linked to Sir Keir Starmer told a court he did so because a Russian man had threatened his grandmother.

Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Petro Pochynok, 35, along with Romanian Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, are accused of a conspiracy to torch two homes and a vehicle linked to the Prime Minister.

They were allegedly paid to carry out the arson attacks by a Russian man known to them as ‘El Money’.

On 12 May last year a blaze was started at a home in Kentish Town, north London, where Sir Keir lived before moving to Downing Street.

A Toyota RAV4 owned by him before he sold it to a neighbour was torched on the same street on 8 May.

Another fire took place on 11 May at the front door of a property in Islington which Sir Keir had previously managed.

The three men all deny conspiring along with others to damage property by fire between 1 April and 13 May 2025.

Lavrynovych denies two counts of damaging property with intent to endanger life.

He gave evidence at the Old Bailey today (fri) wearing a green shirt and bright burgundy trousers assisted by a Ukrainian interpreter.

Three security officers from HM prison service sat near the exits of the courtroom.

Lavrynovych says he was doing jobs for El Money including putting up posters because he wanted money to send back to his sick father in Ukraine.

He told the court today that after being paid to put up posters for in 2024 on 15 April 2025 he messaged El Money asking if he had any more jobs.

Lavrynovych said he gave Carpiuc’s contact information to El Money.

James Scobie, KC, asked Lavrynovych about images of graffiti saying ‘Stop Islam’ written on a Croydon Islamic centre which were sent by Carpiuc to El Money.

Asked if he ever did similar graffiti for El Money, Lavrynovych said he had but only once.

On 16 April 2025 El Money asked him to put up posters in Southall.

Lavrynovych said he did not do the job because he thought it was a ‘propaganda job’ and it was far away.

He said he did not tell El Money he was not going to put the posters up but just started ignoring him.

He said El Money ‘did not react’ to him not doing the job.

El Money then told him about a job setting fire to a car.

Lavrynovych said he told his friend Carpiuc that El Money had offered £3,000 for burning a car.

He said he told Carpiuc about the job because he was scared about it.

Asked why he was scared about the job, he said: ‘Because the job was about setting fire to a car. Because I had never done this kind of job before.’

Lavrynovych said when he refused to do the job and El Money’s mood changed.

He said: ‘He said I better do this job because he knows where I live and it might be dangerous for myself.

’He told me that he knows which area I live in London and who I live with.’

Lavrynovych said he was scared he would ‘have problems later’ or get caught by the police.

He said El Money told him he knew he lived in Sydenham even though he had never told him that.

Lavrynovych was living with his grandmother and her elderly friend.

He said he had never told his grandmother or his family in Ukraine what he was doing for El Money.

‘I think they would not have reacted in a good manner. They would have told me to leave this country probably,’ he said.

Mr Scobie asked: ‘What made you take the cause of actually doing that first arson?’

‘Because I felt that there is a threat towards myself and the other people, my family,’ Lavrynovych said.

He said he El Money told him the job was linked to a ‘high profile person’.

‘He told me that he was a high person in power,’ he said.

He said El Money said he would only pay him to set fire to the Toyota RAV4 if the fire ended up ‘on the news’.

Lavrynovych, of Sydenham, southeast London, Carpiuc, of Romford, east London, and Pochynok, of Islington, north London, all deny conspiracy to damage property by fire.

Lavrynovych denies two counts of damaging property by fire, intending to endanger the lives of others.

He further denies two alternative counts of damaging property by fire being reckless as to whether lives would be endangered.

The trial, before Mr Justice Garnham, continues.