Ukrainian Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Romanian Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, were found guilty on June 15 of conspiring to damage property over a series of arson attacks on properties linked to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in May last year. The attacks were orchestrated by an anonymous Russian-speaking Telegram contact known as El Money, who offered Lavrynovych £3,000 in cryptocurrency to carry out the fires and film them. Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, stated there was no evidence to suggest El Money was a state threat, but confirmed the intent was to cause fear for the Prime Minister and disruption in the UK community.
Jury Convicts Two Over Arson Conspiracy Targeting PM-Linked Properties
Lavrynovych and Carpiuc were found guilty after a jury deliberated for seven-and-a-half hours at the Old Bailey. 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.
Police apprehended the defendants within a week of the attacks. Commander Flanagan told the Press Association that the defendants' intention was clearly to take payment and carry out a crime for money, with no ideological motivation. She stated there was no evidence to suggest they knew they were targeting the Prime Minister or properties linked to him.
Arson Attacks Targeted Three Properties in May Last Year
On May 8 last year, Lavrynovych was tasked by El Money to set light to a Toyota Rav4 previously owned by Sir Keir Starmer in Kentish Town, north London. Three nights later on May 11, a fire was reported at a property in Ellington Street in Islington, managed by a company where the Prime Minister had previously been a director and shareholder. Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson KC stated the fire had spread to the building's interior hallway, posing an "obvious" danger to the inhabitants of the four flats.
In the early hours of May 12 last year, the Prime Minister's former residence in Kentish Town was targeted. Judith Alexander, Sir Keir's sister-in-law who resided there with her partner and daughter, stated she heard two loud bangs and saw smoke and an orange glow at the front door. The attacks, carried out in the dead of night while people were asleep, posed a serious threat to life and left residents terrified, the court heard.
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." Lavrynovych was charged on May 15 last year. Two days later on May 17, Carpiuc was intercepted at Luton Airport as he awaited a flight to Romania.
Counter Terrorism Police Find No Evidence of State Threat
Commander Flanagan stated there was nothing to suggest El Money was a "state threat." 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 true identity of El Money remains unknown.
Commander 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."
Court Schedules Sentencing for Friday
Mr Justice Garnham remanded the defendants into custody to be sentenced on Friday. 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. 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."
FAQ
What were Roman Lavrynovych and Stanislav Carpiuc convicted of on June 15?
Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, were found guilty of conspiring to damage property over arson attacks on properties linked to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in May last year. 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.
Who is El Money and what role did this contact play in the arson attacks?
El Money is an anonymous Russian-speaking Telegram contact who orchestrated the arson attacks. El Money offered Lavrynovych £3,000 in cryptocurrency if the fires were filmed and made the news. Commander Helen Flanagan stated there was no evidence to suggest El Money was a state threat, but the intent was to cause fear for the Prime Minister and disruption in the UK community.
When will the convicted defendants be sentenced?
Mr Justice Garnham remanded the defendants into custody to be sentenced on Friday.
