Two individuals have been convicted of planning arson attacks on properties and a vehicle associated with the Prime Minister. Roman Lavrynovych, a 22-year-old Ukrainian citizen, and Stanislav Carpiuc, a 27-year-old Ukrainian-born Romanian national, were declared guilty at the Old Bailey for conspiring to commit arson on premises linked to Sir Keir Starmer.
In a series of incidents over five days in May last year, fires were reported at a house in north London connected to Starmer, another at a nearby property rented by Starmer’s sister-in-law, and a blaze involving a Toyota formerly owned by him. These attacks occurred during the night while residents were asleep, posing a significant threat to life and causing fear among the occupants.
Lavrynovych was found guilty of arson with intent to endanger life and reckless arson endangering life in relation to one of the house fires but was acquitted on charges related to another property. The prosecution revealed that Lavrynovych carried out the attacks after being recruited online by a Russian-speaking individual named “El Money” who promised payment.
A third individual, Petro Pochynok, a 35-year-old Ukrainian national, was cleared of conspiracy to commit arson. Following the convictions, Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) London, stated that there was no indication that El Money posed a state threat.
However, Flanagan highlighted that the motive behind the attacks was to instill fear and cause disruption in the UK community, particularly targeting the Prime Minister. She emphasized that the defendants’ intentions were driven by monetary gain rather than any ideological motivation, and there was no evidence to suggest they were aware of the specific targets.
Flanagan warned that the two defendants acted as criminal agents for El Money and cautioned against engaging in such criminal activities for easy money. She emphasized that those involved in attacks within the UK would be swiftly brought to justice and face lengthy prison terms as a consequence.
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