Two out of the three individuals accused of planning arson attacks on two residences and a vehicle associated with Keir Starmer have entered not guilty pleas for conspiring to commit arson with the intent to endanger lives. Roman Lavrynovych, 21, and Petro Pochynok, 34, both from Ukraine, officially stated their pleas through a video link from HMP Belmarsh in south-east London.
During the court session, it was clarified that the prosecution is not suggesting any terrorist or national security connections to the case. The third defendant, Stanislav Carpiuc, a Ukrainian-born Romanian citizen aged 26, was also present at the hearing but refrained from providing a plea as he had dismissed his legal representatives earlier in the week.
The trio, situated in different sections of the same prison, communicated with the court through interpreters, including a Russian translator for Carpiuc. Lavrynovych, who aspires to be a model and resides in Sydenham, South East London, appeared in a grey prison-issued tracksuit.
Pochynok, from Islington, North London, and Carpiuc, a roofer from Chadwell Heath, East London, were also attired in grey tracksuits. The court was informed that Carpiuc, who had multiple meetings with his former legal team, submitted an insufficient witness statement, while his co-accused have not submitted any statements yet.
Presiding over the proceedings at the Old Bailey, Her Honour Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb scheduled a further case management hearing for all three defendants on November 28, with a trial anticipated for the following year. She conveyed to the defendants the seriousness of the case, describing the circumstances as unclear.
The charges against the individuals stem from three distinct incidents that occurred within a five-day span. The initial incident took place on May 8 when a 2018 Toyota Rav 4, previously owned by the Prime Minister before being sold to a neighbor, was discovered on fire on a street in Kentish Town, north London. Three days later, a fire broke out at flats connected to the PM in Islington, resulting in a rescue operation by crews equipped with breathing apparatus.
On May 12, a third fire was found at the entrance of Sir Keir’s four-bedroom rented home in Kentish Town. The Labour leader and his family had resided in the £2 million property before moving to 10 Downing Street in July the previous year.
