Starmer arson accused tells court he was offered £3,000 to set car alight

A Ukrainian accused of arson attacks on property linked to Sir Keir Starmer has admitted being offered £3,000 by his Russian-speaking taskmaster to set fire to a car

Roman Lavrynovych, 22, allegedly plotted to set fire to the vehicle and two houses in north London last May on the promise of cryptocurrency from the same shadowy Telegram contact.

Last May 8, a Toyota Rav4 car which once belonged to the Prime Minister was allegedly set alight on a road in Kentish Town.

Giving evidence on Friday, Lavrynovych said a person using the pseudonym “El Money” had approached him with a “job of setting a car on fire” and offered £3,000 in cryptocurrency.

James Scobie KC, defending, asked: “What did you have to achieve to get that?”

The defendant said: “He wanted me to set a car on fire and send a video of this.”

Mr Scobie said: “How did you view doing the job alone, as opposed to having someone with you?”

Lavrynovych replied: “I think if I would have anyone else I would feel support and the job could be done quicker and I would not be scared as much.”

When he was arrested, Lavrynovych told police he had felt “threatened” by El Money, the court has heard.

The construction worker told jurors he had agreed to do other “jobs” for El Money because he was in desperately need of funds.

In December 2024, the defendant said he sprayed graffiti on an Islamic community centre in south London for the cost of materials and £20.

Afterwards, he reported back to his contact: “Graffiti worked like clockwork,” the court heard.

Mr Scobie asked if it had been the kind of “offensive, racist, unpleasant graffiti” jurors had seen on a similar building.

The defendant replied: “Yes, something like that.”

In April 2025, El Money asked Lavrynovych to put up posters on a road in Southall, south London, with a message connecting mosques with crime, the court heard.

Lavrynovych said: “I realised it was illegal because he instructed me to work at night and use a facemask and gloves.”

He did not go through with the job because he thought it was “propaganda” and he “might be caught”, jurors heard.

Up until that point, there were no issues with El Money if he chose not to do the jobs he was given, the defendant said.

But when it came to the setting the car alight, El Money talked in a “different way” and changed “tactics”, Lavrynovych added.

Lavrynovych, Petro Pochynok, 35, and Romanian Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, all from London, deny conspiracy to damage property by fire between April 1 and May 13 last year.

Lavrynovych also denies damaging two properties by fire with intent to endanger life or being reckless as to whether life was endangered on May 11 and 12 last year.

The Old Bailey trial continues.