A Ukrainian national has been charged with arson with intent to endanger life over attacks at
two homes and a car linked to Sir Keir Starmer
.
Roman Lavrynovych, 21, is alleged to have
started fires outside two north London properties
and torched a vehicle linked to the Prime Minister.
Lavrynovych was charged with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
The Ukrainian was arrested at an address in Sydenham, south-east London, in the early hours of Tuesday, some 24 hours after emergency services responded to the blaze at the Prime Minister’s former family home.
It is understood that Lady Victoria Starmer’s sister now rents and lives at the four-bedroom house, thought to be worth £2m. Damage was caused to the front of the home, but no one was hurt.
Lavrynovych was also detained in connection with a fire on a vehicle on the same road last Thursday, and another fire at a property in Islington in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Bethan David, head of the Crown Prosecution Service Counter Terrorism Division, said: “Following a review of the evidence provided by the Metropolitan Police Service’s Counter Terrorism Command, we have authorised criminal charges against a 21-year-old man after three fires in north London.
“Roman Lavrynovych has been charged with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life or being reckless as to whether life would be endangered, contrary to section 1(2) and (3) of the Criminal Damage Act 1971.
“These charges relate to two fires at residential addresses in Islington on Sunday May 11, 2025 and in Kentish Town on Monday, 12 May 2025, as well as a car fire in Kentish Town on Thursday May 8, 2025.
“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against this defendant are now active and that he has the right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
Following the blaze outside Starmer’s former Kentish Town home, counterterrorism police began investigating whether the fire was linked to the car torching on the same road just days before.
The car, a 2018 Toyota Rav 4, previously belonged to Starmer but he had since sold it to one of his neighbours and was parked in the same street as his Kentish Town property.
After the force identified that another front door to a separate north London property linked to the Prime Minister was set alight on Sunday, the case was handed over to counterterrorism police.
The counterterror force was deployed because of the link to the prime minister rather than the specific nature of the threat.
Concerned neighbours living near the house told
The i Paper
they were woken by fire engines after a blaze at the Kentish Town house at around 1.30am on Monday.
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Charles Grant, 66, who lives on the same road as Starmer’s property, said police had been searching his garden for a “projectile”. He described hearing a loud bang in the early hours of the morning, but went back to sleep.
“From what people have told me today, I gather someone threw a firebomb at Keir Starmer’s house,” he said.
“The front door and the brickwork on either side is black and charred. It smells of burnt stuff.
“The police said the damage is not extensive – just needs a bit of paintwork,” Mr Grant continued.
Law enforcement examined my garden and mentioned they were searching for an object someone had discarded, however, they did not uncover anything.
