Two found guilty over arson attacks on car and homes linked to Keir Starmer on orders of 'Russian' handler

Two men have been found guilty of carrying out a string of arson attacks on a car and properties linked to Sir Keir Starmer.

Ukrainian Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Romanian Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, acted on the orders of a Russian-speaking Telegram contact called "El Money", the Old Bailey heard.

A Toyota RAV4, which once belonged to the prime minister, was set alight in Kentish Town, north London, in the early hours of 8 May last year.

On 11 May, a fire was started at the door of an Islington flat, where Sir Keir had previously lived, while his constituency home was attacked on 12 May 2025.

The prime minister's sister-in-law, Judith Alexander, who moved in after Sir Keir entered Downing Street, told how she heard bangs and saw smoke as her partner and daughter slept.

Prosecutors said the arson attacks were "planned and directed" by their contact known only as "El Money", who promised to pay Lavrynovych £3,000 in cryptocurrency.

The Russian-speaking mastermind behind the attacks aimed to strike "fear" into the prime minister and cause "unrest" across the country, said commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) London.

Construction worker Lavrynovych claimed he had been threatened by the shadowy figure, who demanded that the fires were filmed and on the news.

Carpiuc, who had a short-lived modelling career, said he had been drinking in a pub in Notting Hill at the time of the attacks.

Carpiuc, from Romford, east London, and Lavrynovych, from Sydenham, southeast London, had denied conspiracy to damage property.

Lavrynovych also denied damaging two properties by fire with intent to endanger life or being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

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Lavrynovych and Carpiuc were found guilty of plotting to damage property after a jury deliberated for seven-and-a-half hours.

Co-defendant Petro Pochynok, 35, was cleared of the same charge.

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

Mr Justice Garnham remanded the defendants into custody to be sentenced on Friday.

Ms Flanagan of CTP London, following the convictions, said there was nothing to indicate the shadowy Telegram contact was a "state threat".

But she added: "I think the intention 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."

In the wake of the attacks, "El Money" encouraged Lavrynovych to flee.

He said: "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 was charged on 15 May last year, just days after the attacks.

Carpiuc was stopped two days later at Luton Airport as he waited for a flight to Romania.

Following the verdicts, Frank Ferguson, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "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."

A government spokesman said: "This was an abhorrent attack and those responsible have now been brought to justice for their acts.

"We thank our partners in law enforcement and the Crown Prosecution Service for bringing these criminals to justice."

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: "Keir Starmer and I disagree on many things, but good people across the political spectrum will welcome today's verdicts, condemn these appalling attacks which seem to have been sponsored by Russia and wish the PM and his family well.

"Whatever our political differences, no-one should face intimidation, threats or attacks because they hold public office."

(c) Sky News 2026: Two found guilty over arson attacks on car and homes linked to Keir Starmer on orders