Roman Lavrynovych, a 22-year-old Ukrainian national, has admitted to setting fire to the former Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s old car in north London in May 2025. The arson was carried out after Lavrynovych was threatened by a powerful Russian-speaking individual known as El Money.
The attack was one of several linked to Sir Keir Starmer, including two targeting buildings associated with him. Lavrynovych accepted £3,000 in cryptocurrency as payment for the car arson.
During proceedings at the Old Bailey, Lavrynovych revealed that he initially refused the task but changed his mind following threats from El Money. The figure warned that he knew where Lavrynovych and his family lived, increasing the pressure on him to comply.
Lavrynovych described El Money as a “person in power” who may have political connections, which heightened his fear and sense of obligation to carry out the attack.
The arson took place on May 8, 2025, when Lavrynovych set fire to the former Prime Minister’s Toyota vehicle. Although he was instructed to break a car window and use a flammable mixture, he chose instead to pour liquid on the car and ignite it with paper and a lighter to avoid drawing attention.
The fire ignited immediately on his first attempt, marking Lavrynovych’s first experience with arson.
Prior to this incident, Lavrynovych had committed other illegal acts for El Money due to financial difficulties. These included spraying racist graffiti on an Islamic community centre in south London in December 2024. He was also asked to put up inflammatory posters linking mosques with crime in Southall but refused to do so.
While Lavrynovych could previously decline jobs without consequence, he stated that El Money’s approach became more threatening when it came to the car-burning task. The defendant admitted he felt genuine fear for both his own and his family’s safety, which was a key factor in his decision to carry out the arson.
The trial at the Old Bailey is currently ongoing.
Originally published by UKNIP.
