Latest news with #Sydenham
The Independent
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
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.
Telegraph
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Ukrainian suspect ‘used white spirits to start fire at Starmer's home'
A Ukrainian man allegedly used white spirits to start fires at two properties linked to the Prime Minister, a court has heard. Roman Lavrynovych, 21, was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday morning in connection with a string of alleged arson attacks in north London. The first incident involved a car once owned by Sir Keir Starmer, the second was at a flat he lived in during the 1990s and the third took place at his family home in Tufnell Park. Sir Keir's family home is currently rented out to his sister in law and the property was occupied at the time of the incident although nobody was hurt. On Thursday, Mr Lavrynovych, a roofer, who lives with his grandmother in Sydenham, south London, was charged with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life. He appeared at Westminster magistrates' court on Friday morning where it was alleged he had bought white spirits and turpentine at a branch of B&Q, the DIY store, prior to the three offences. The court was told he lives with his grandmother and was asleep at the property when police raided the address in the early hours of Tuesday morning. It is also alleged the defendant travelled to north London from his address in Sydenham using night buses. Mr Lavrynovych spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth via a Ukrainian interpreter with his lawyer saying his English was 'very limited'. Wearing a grey prison issue tracksuit he spoke quietly and held his hands together in front of him throughout the hearing, which lasted 20 minutes. Remanding him in custody, Paul Goldspring, the chief magistrate, said: 'These three charges are indictable only, that means I am obliged to allocate them to the crown court. 'In this case that will be the Central Criminal Court where you will appear for your Plea and Trial Preparation hearing on 6 June.' An attack on democracy Sir Keir told MPs in the House of Commons that attacks on politicians were an attack on democracy. Commander Dominic Murphy, the head of the Met's counter terror command, said in a statement at the time: 'We recognise that this investigation may cause concern to other public figures – particularly MPs. 'The protection of MPs is something we take extremely seriously across the whole of policing and I would encourage any MP who is concerned about their own safety to get in touch with their dedicated local Operation Bridger officer, who can provide further advice and support.' The first incident occurred in the early hours of VE Day on May 8, when the London Fire Brigade was reported to a vehicle fire at an address in NW5. A Toyota Rav 4 hybrid electric car had burst into flames but at the time investigators did not believe the cause of the blaze was suspicious and put it down to a battery malfunction. The car had belonged to the Prime Minister, but after last summer's election win, he had sold it to a neighbour. In 2020, it was pictured in a number of media reports after Sir Keir, who was leader of the opposition at the time, was involved in a minor collision with a Deliveroo worker. Three days later in the early hours of May 11 the fire brigade attended a fire at a terraced property in Ellington Street in N7. The front door of the property, which comprised four flats, was badly damaged in the fire and residents had to be helped out by firefighters. This time investigators concluded that the fire had not been started accidentally and alerted Scotland Yard. It later emerged that Sir Keir had bought the flat jointly with a girlfriend in 1991 but they had sold it in 1997. But his name appears on a Companies House register linked to the property, thought to relate to the ownership of the freehold. The third incident occurred in the early hours of Monday morning, when the Starmers' family home in north London, was targeted in a suspected firebomb attack. The Prime Minister and his family moved out of the four bedroom property and into Downing Street following the general election, since when it has been rented out to Lady Starmer's sister for a peppercorn rent.
Times
16-05-2025
- Times
Roman Lavrynovych appears in court on Keir Starmer fire charges
A Ukrainian man accused of starting fires outside two properties and a car linked to Keir Starmer has appeared at Westminster magistrates' court in central London. Roman Lavrynovych, 21, of Sydenham, southeast London, is alleged to have started fires outside two properties and torched a vehicle in north London. He was remanded in custody after being charged with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life. Prosecutors authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Lavrynovych after he was arrested in Sydenham in the early hours of Tuesday. On Thursday night two women believed to be relatives of Lavrynovych said that they were in shock. 'We can't even talk. We need to rest because it's too much,' they told The Times. A nursery worker, 40, who
The Independent
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Man charged over fires at homes linked to Sir Keir Starmer appears in court
A 21-year-old man has appeared in court charged with three counts of arson after three fires at two properties and a car linked to Sir Keir Starmer. Roman Lavrynovych, a Ukrainian national from Sydenham, southeast London, was remanded in custody after appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday. He was arrested during the early hours of Tuesday and charged on Thursday, the Metropolitan Police said. Officers from the Met's Counter Terror Command have led the investigation due to the connections to the prime minister. Police were called by the London Fire Brigade to reports of a fire an an address in Kentish Town at 1.35am on Monday. Damage was caused to the entrance of the property, where Sir Keir lived with his family before they moved into 10 Downing Street, but no one was injured. Neighbours described hearing a loud bang and said police officers were looking for a projectile. A car linked to Sir Keir was set alight in the early hours of Thursday 8 May 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. Wearing a grey tracksuit and aided by a Ukrainian interpreter, he only spoke to confirm his name and date of birth. Senior District Judge Paul Goldspring told him: 'The three charges you face are indictable only. That means I'm obliged to allocate them to the crown court. In this case that means the Central Criminal Court for a plea hearing on 6 June.'
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Keir Starmer fire attack accused in court: Ukrainian Roman Lavrynovych, 21, appears in the dock charged with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life
A Ukrainian man accused of three arson attacks on homes and a car linked to Sir Keir Starmer has appeared in court. Roman Lavrynovych, 21, from Sydenham in south London, had been charged last night by Scotland Yard with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life. The Ukrainian national is accused of setting the Prime Minister's £2million north London property alight on Monday night. That blaze happened just days after the torching of a car and a flat which the Labour leader had previously owned. The three fires took place between May 8 and 12. The Ukrainian appeared in the dock at Westminster Magistrates' Court today wearing a prison grey tracksuit, accompanied by a Ukrainian interpreter, and spoke to confirm his name and address. He was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday and has been in custody since. Sir Keir let the four-bedroom house in Kentish Town to his sister-in-law on a peppercorn rent since he moved into Downing Street after his general election victory in July last year. The blaze damaged the porch of the property, but firefighters were able to bring it under control within 20 minutes, stopping it from spreading further indoors. The doors of two homes linked to the Prime Minister in north London both suffered fire damage within 24 hours of each other. It came after a Toyota Rav 4 on Sir Keir's street burst into flames on VE Day. The owner of the vehicle, a neighbour of the Prime Minister, is understood to have thought that the fire started because of a faulty battery. The hybrid car was completely destroyed, with the owner of the vehicle later saying he initially thought it was a battery fault The head of Counter Terrorism Command issued a statement following the blazes, urging any MPs who may be concerned to contact police. Now Bethan David, Head of the Crown Prosecution Service Counter Terrorism Division, has said on Thursday night: '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, 11 May 2025 and in Kentish Town on Monday, 12 May 2025, as well as a car fire in Kentish Town on Thursday, 8 May 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.' City mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said the three fires had left the Prime Minister's family feeling 'frightened' for their safety. He told LBC Radio: 'Don't underestimate the ripples of fear that [his wife] Vic and the kids felt when they will have read this stuff in the paper. 'But for the grace of God they are safe thankfully, in Downing Street, they've got a protection team.'
