Accused Starmer arson suspect tells Old Bailey he was threatened into carrying out attacks

A man accused of arson attacks on two properties and a vehicle linked to Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told the Old Bailey he was forced to carry out the attacks under threat and never intended to endanger anyone's life. Roman Lavrynovych, 22, said a Telegram handler who called himself "El Money" offered him £3,000 in cryptocurrency to set fire to the car, then turned hostile and threatened him and his family when he tried to refuse.

The Details

Lavrynovych, 22, is accused alongside Petro Pochynok, 35, and Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, of targeting two properties and a car linked to the prime minister. Prosecutors allege the three men conspired between 1 April and 13 May 2025 to damage property by fire.

The court heard details of three separate incidents. A Toyota RAV4 previously owned by Starmer was set on fire in Kentish Town on 8 May 2025. A fire followed at a Starmer-linked property in Islington on 11 May. The following day, 12 May, a fire was set at Starmer's Kentish Town home.

Lavrynovych separately faces counts alleging intent to endanger life relating to the fires on 11 and 12 May 2025, along with alternative recklessness counts.

Giving evidence at the Old Bailey, Lavrynovych said the sequence of events began when a Russian-speaking Telegram user who identified himself as "El Money" contacted him. The handler initially offered him £3,000 in cryptocurrency to set fire to the car, Lavrynovych told the court.

Lavrynovych said he initially refused the offer but that the handler's tone shifted sharply when he declined. "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 testified.

Explaining why he ultimately went ahead with the car fire, Lavrynovych said: "Because I felt that there is a threat towards myself and my family. My fear was genuine."

Addressing the court directly on the question of intent, Lavrynovych said: "I did not want to endanger anyone's life."

BBC previously reported that Lavrynovych told police he did not know Keir Starmer was the prime minister and that he had no grudge against the government.

After the final fire at Starmer's Kentish Town home on 12 May, "El Money" allegedly messaged Lavrynovych, telling him he had attacked the home of a "very high-ranking person in Britain" and that he needed to leave the city.

Context

The three fires in May 2025 targeted a vehicle and two residential properties connected to the prime minister across Kentish Town and Islington. Lavrynovych told the court the attacks were carried out under coercion by an unidentified Telegram handler. He has said he was unaware Starmer was the prime minister and bore no personal animosity toward the government.

What's Next

The trial continues at the Old Bailey. All three accused face conspiracy to damage property by fire, and Lavrynovych faces additional counts alleging intent to endanger life and alternative recklessness relating to the 11 and 12 May fires.