Russia behind Keir Starmer arson assault plot as ‘El Money’ mastermind nonetheless at massive

Roman Lavrynovych and Stanislav Carpiuc were found guilty over a series of arson attacks on property linked to PM, Keir Starmer, with the shadowy Telegram figure behind the plot still unidentified

Two pawns for a Russian-speaking mastermind have been convicted over a series of arson attacks on property associated with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Last May, a Toyota Rav4 previously owned by Sir Keir was set on fire in a street in Kentish Town, north London.

Days later, two houses were torched, including a north London residence inhabited by the Prime Minister’s sister-in-law and her family, which he still owns. The attacks, carried out in the dead of night while people were asleep, posed a serious threat to life and left residents terrified, the Old Bailey heard.

Ukrainian Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Romanian Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, were found guilty of conspiring to damage property after a jury deliberated for seven-and-a-half hours. Co-defendant Petro Pochynok, 35, was acquitted of the same charge.

Lavrynovych was also found guilty of damaging two properties by fire, being reckless as to whether life was endangered on May 11 and 12 last year.

Mr Justice Garnham remanded the defendants into custody to be sentenced on Friday. Police apprehended the defendants within a week of the attacks ordered by an elusive Telegram contact known as El Money.

The anonymous Russian speaker had offered Lavrynovych £3,000 in cryptocurrency if the fires were filmed and made the news.

Following the convictions, Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) London, said there was nothing to suggest El Money was a “state threat”.

However, the intent behind the attacks was to “cause concern” and “disruption” in the community within the UK and “fear” for the Prime Minister, she stated.

She told the Press Association: “I think the intentions of the defendants was clearly to take payment, and to carry out a crime for money.

“There was no ideological motivation around that, and there’s no evidence to suggest that they knew who they were targeting, and that that was the Prime Minister or properties linked to the Prime Minister.

“However, clearly the intention from the online tasker was to create fear, both for the victim and the Prime Minister, and cause uncertainty, unrest, for the UK.”

Ms Flanagan said the two defendants had acted as criminal proxies for El Money and issued a warning to anyone else tempted by “easy cash”.

She stated: “Be under no illusion that if we identify you being involved in an attack within the UK, we will focus our investigation, you will be brought to justice very quickly, and you are likely to face a very lengthy prison sentence as a result of that.”

A Financial Times investigation has identified a Russian online sabotage network as allegedly being behind the attacks.

But a Counter Terrorism Policing spokesperson said it had found no evidence leading to any specific person, group or organisation to be associated with the El Money social media account.

The court heard how Lavrynovych was first tasked by El Money to set light to the Toyota Rav4 on May 8 last year.

He had attempted to enlist Mr Pochynok to capture the event on film after initially approaching his mate Carpiuc, the jury was told.

Three nights on, a fire was reported at a property in nearby Ellington Street in Islington, managed by a company where the Prime Minister had previously been a director and shareholder.

The jury was shown footage filmed by Lavrynovych of a lit match being tossed onto an accelerant on the doorstep of the property.

A resident of the top-floor flat was roused by the smell of smoke roughly half an hour later and fled to the roof to ring the fire brigade.

Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson KC stated that the fire had spread to the building’s interior hallway, posing an “obvious” danger to the inhabitants of the four flats.

In the wee hours of 12 May last year, the Prime Minister’s former residence in Kentish Town was targeted.

His sister-in-law Judith Alexander, who resided there with her partner and daughter, said in a statement: “All of a sudden I heard two bangs. It was very loud and sounded like two wheelie bins had been thrown at the door.

“I did not see anyone on the street but when I looked down I saw smoke and an orange glow where the front door was.”

As dense smoke began to fill the upstairs, Ms Alexander mentioned she had tried to phone her sister Victoria, the Prime Minister’s wife.

She expressed her fear about “what might have happened” if she hadn’t woken up.

Following the attacks, El Money urged Lavrynovych to make a swift exit, stating: “Look, you attacked the home of a very high-ranking person in Britain. I’ll send you money, you need to leave the city.

“If the police detain you, secretly write the word, ‘geranium’ and I’ll send a lawyer to you, I’ll give you money for a week and a new phone. We won’t be in touch for a week.”

Lavrynovych, from Sydenham, south London, was charged on 15 May last year.

Two days later, Carpiuc was intercepted at Luton Airport as he awaited a flight to Romania.

In his defence, construction worker Lavrynovych confessed to setting the property alight but alleged that he had been coerced by El Money.

The true identity of El Money remains unknown, but Lavrynovych claimed he believed him to be a “powerful” individual with political ties.

Previously, El Money had commissioned him to daub racist graffiti on an Islamic community centre and distribute anti-Muslim leaflets around the area in exchange for payment.

Hotel employee Carpiuc, hailing from Romford, east London, stated that he had declined to participate and told Lavrynovych that the plan was “stupid” and unlawful.

His former flatmate, Mr Pochynok, who worked in construction and as a Harrods delivery driver, informed the jury that he was unaware of the car arson scheme until it was too late.

Mr Pochynok, from Islington, north London, said he thought Lavrynovych wanted his assistance with a mutual friend’s heavy suitcases and had fled when he was handed a camera phone to record the event.

After the verdicts, Frank Ferguson, from the Crown Prosecution Service, stated: “These were deliberate and dangerous acts of arson carried out against properties and a vehicle linked to the Prime Minister, and they posed a serious risk to life.

“Such offences go beyond damage to property – they are intended to intimidate and undermine public confidence, and that will not be tolerated.

“Today’s convictions demonstrate that those who commit criminal acts, including acts of arson, to pursue their, or others’ agendas, will be investigated thoroughly and prosecuted robustly.”