Two men have been found guilty of three separate arson attacks on properties and a car linked to the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer.

Following a trial at the Old Bailey, Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Stanislav Carpiuc were today found guilty of conspiracy to damage property by fire.

Lavrynovych was also convicted of two counts of damaging property by fire being reckless as to whether life is endangered.

A third man, Petro Pochynok, 35, was acquitted of conspiracy to damage property by fire.

The two men will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday, 19 June 2026.

Frank Ferguson, Head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, 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.  

“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.  

“The CPS will continue to work closely with our partners in law enforcement to ensure that anyone responsible for this kind of criminal behaviour is held fully accountable.”

Behind the case

The arson attacks took place in a residential area of north London over three nights in May 2025.  

In the early hours of Thursday, 8 May 2025, residents reported that a car, a Toyota RAV4, was on fire in Kentish Town. Initially, the blaze was not thought to be suspicious but closer examination revealed that the vehicle had been set alight deliberately using a flame on the driver’s side front end.  

Three nights later, in the early hours of Sunday, 11 May 2025, a fire was reported at a house in Kentish Town. It was immediately clear to fire investigators and police that the blaze was deliberate. The evidence indicated a petroleum distillate, such as white spirit, had been poured onto the front door of the address and ignited. The fire then spread into the hallway of the premises, putting the lives of the occupants at risk.  

The third fire was reported one night later, in the early hours of Monday, 12 May 2025, at a house in Kentish Town near to where the Toyota RAV4 car had been found alight. Once again, the fire had been started deliberately at the front door of the address, with the use of white spirit or a similar ignitable liquid. The fire, and the smoke that it produced, put the occupants of the house at risk.  

The prosecution case was that Roman Lavrynovych was the individual who physically set all three fires, with Stanislas Carpiuc acting as part of a wider conspiracy. The police identified the defendants through early investigative work, including telephone and messaging data. Analysis showed that Carpiuc played a coordinating role, including planning elements of the offending and handling payment arrangements.

During the trial, the prosecution focused on communication evidence recovered from mobile phones connected to the defendants. Messages exchanged before and during the relevant period demonstrated contact between them and linked them to the locations of the arson attacks. Location data and other material placed the defendants near the scenes, while evidence showed Lavrynovych conducting reconnaissance and later returning to photograph the damage, supporting the prosecution’s case that the offences were planned rather than spontaneous.

The prosecution made clear that the case did not depend on proving political or ideological motivation, nor on whether the defendants knew the properties were linked to the Prime Minister. It was argued that agreeing to set fires in residential areas necessarily involved recognising the risk to human life.