Two guilty over arson attacks on properties linked to the PM
They were targeted last year
Last updated 15th Jun 2026
Two men have been found guilty over a series of arson attacks on properties linked to the Prime Minister.
The court was told Ukrainian Roman Lavrynovych and Stanislav Carpiuc, who's from Romania, worked for a Russian-speaking taskmaster online.
A car once owned by Sir Keir Starmer was set alight in north London's Kentish Town last May, as well as his former home.
The attacks in the middle of the night while people were in bed asleep posed a serious threat to life and left householders terrified, the Old Bailey heard.
Police arrested the defendants within a week of the attacks ordered by a shadowy Telegram contact called El Money.
The anonymous Russian speaker had offered Lavrynovych £3,000 in cryptocurrency if the blazes were filmed and got on the news.
Commander Helen Flanagan, said: “The actions of the two men involved in these arson attacks were incredibly reckless and it was sheer luck that nobody was killed or injured.
“I would like to praise the swift work of the investigation team who identified the men involved within a few days of the fires. This was essential in ensuring that vital forensic and digital evidence was seized before it could be destroyed.
“One of the men – Carpiuc – was arrested at an airport, demonstrating how close he came to fleeing the country and escaping justice.
“Crimes, such as arson, being directed by anonymous online accounts promising payment, is a recurring trend in our casework.
“Our message to anyone who might be approached in this way, or thinking about doing similar, is to think again. As we’ve seen here, you will not get paid as you are promised, you will be identified and brought to justice, and the only thing you will be left with is facing the prospect of a lengthy jail sentence.”
CTP London detectives took charge of the investigation into the series of fires after the third arson attack at a house Islington, north London, on 12 May last year. This property is owned by the Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The first arson attack took place on 8 May, 2025 when a Toyota car, that formerly belonged to the Prime Minister, was set alight.
On 11 May, 2025 a fire was set in the doorway of another residential property in Islington. The property was managed by a company of which the Prime Minister was formerly a director and shareholder.
Mr Justice Garnham remanded the defendants into custody to be sentenced on Friday
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