Two men described as 'useful idiots' have been sentenced to prison for orchestrating arson attacks against Sir Keir Starmer, acting on orders from a mysterious Russian-speaking individual. Roman Lavrynovych, 22, from Ukraine, and Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, from Romania, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit arson. Another Ukrainian man, Petro Pochynok, 35, was acquitted of the same charge. Lavrynovych was also convicted of damaging two properties by fire, with reckless disregard for life, in May last year.
Sentences and Details
Lavrynovych received a seven-year prison sentence, while Carpiuc was sentenced to two years. The attacks involved setting fire to a car and two houses linked to the Prime Minister in north London. Justice Garnham described Lavrynovych as an 'idiot' and a 'fool' who was manipulated by a figure known as 'El Money' or 'Hroshi' in Ukrainian, who directed the assaults. The identity of El Money remains unclear, but their account has been connected to a Russian online sabotage network.
Recruitment and Execution
El Money recruited Lavrynovych through the encrypted messaging app Telegram, offering £3,000 in cryptocurrency to burn a car and two houses and ensure the incident was reported in the news, as heard at the Old Bailey. Instructions included target locations and methods for mixing flammable liquids purchased from a hardware store. Carpiuc encouraged Lavrynovych and planned to help convert the cryptocurrency into cash. Justice Garnham remarked: 'You agreed to carry out this mindless piece of arson for money. You were not a man of great principle and you were easily bought.'
