Ukrainian Roman Lavrynovych, 21, is alleged to have started fires outside two homes and a car connected to the Prime Minister – he has been remanded in custody
A man has appeared in court charged with arson attacks on properties and a vehicle linked to Keir Starmer.
Ukrainian Roman Lavrynovych, 21, is alleged to have started fires outside two homes and a car connected to the Prime Minister.
He was arrested at an address in Sydenham, south-east London, in the early hours of Tuesday and later charged with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life.
Lavrynovych, wearing a grey tracksuit, spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth.
Westminster Magistrates Court heard how a “substantial body of evidence” links Lavrynovych to three fires on residential properties and a car connected to the PM.
A phone belonging to the defendant was tracked to the three arson sites and payments to Transport for London put him in the area of each attack.
CCTV shows him purchasing accelerant materials in B&Q before the alleged offences. And one clip captures him walking past the property in Islington, north London, sparking a lighter in his hand.
Lavrynovych, of no fixed address, was living with relatives when he was arrested. He admits the phone used to track his movements belongs to him and that he travelled to all three locations, but denies arson. He was remanded in custody and will appear at London’s Central Criminal Court on June 6.
Emergency services rushed to Mr Starmer’s former home in Kentish Town, north London, in the early hours of Monday after reports of a fire. Damage was caused to the property’s entrance but nobody was hurt.
A car inked to Mr Starmer was set alight in the early hours of Thursday May 8 in the same street. In the early hours of Sunday, firefighters dealt with a small fire at the front door of a house converted into flats in nearby Islington, which is also linked to the PM.
One person was assisted to safety via an internal staircase by crews wearing breathing apparatus.
Mr Starmer is letting out the four-bedroom house, thought to be worth £2million, to his wife’s sister after moving to Downing Street. It is not known if his sister-in-law was at the property at the time of the attack.
The car once belonged to Mr Starmer and was parked in the same Kentish Town street. It is understood that Mr Starmer had sold it to a neighbour.
Counterterrorism police were involved because of the link to Mr Starmer.