Ukrainian man remanded in custody over fires at homes and car linked to Starmer
A Ukrainian man has been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged in connection with fires at two properties and a car linked to the Prime Minister.
Roman Lavrynovych, 21, is accused of three counts of arson with intent to endanger life following the fires at various locations across north London.
The defendant, assisted by an interpreter, spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address at a short hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday.
Prosecutor Sarah Przybylska said: 'The defendant is charged with three offences of aggravated arson – on the 8th of May in relation to a car parked on a residential street in Kentish Town, on the 11th of May in relation to a residential property in Islington and on the 12th of May in relation to a residential property on the same street in Kentish Town as where the car was parked on the 8th of May.
'The car and both properties were linked to the Prime Minister Keir Starmer.'
The court heard that accelerant, preliminarily deemed to be of a 'slow burning nature', was used in at least one of the fires.
Ms Przybylska said: 'At this stage, the alleged offending is unexplained.'
She also told the court that Lavrynovych, of Sydenham, south-east London, was interviewed under caution after his arrest and denied arson.
He was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey for a plea and trial preparation hearing on June 6.
He was arrested at an address in Sydenham in the early hours of Tuesday and charged on Thursday.
The force said officers from the Met's Counter Terror Command led the investigation because of the connections to a high-profile public figure.
In the early hours of Monday, the emergency services responded to a fire at the Kentish Town home where Sir Keir Starmer lived before becoming Prime Minister and moving into 10 Downing Street.
Police were alerted by the London Fire Brigade (LFB) to reports of a fire at the residential address at 1.35am.
Damage was caused to the property's entrance but nobody was hurt.
A car linked to Sir Keir 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 Prime Minister.
One person was assisted to safety via an internal staircase by crews wearing breathing apparatus, LFB said.
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