In the early hours of 8 May 2025 a parked Toyota RAV4 that had previously belonged to Prime Minister Keir Starmer was set alight on Countess Road in Kentish Town. The car, worth about £17,500, was completely destroyed; the court noted the risk to passers-by and residents and recorded no injuries. The court found that the perpetrator, a 21-year-old Ukrainian, took the job from a person he did not know, contacted via Telegram and known as "EL Money", for promised money, and was to film the fire as proof. This was the first of three fires set in the area over five nights; the next, on 11 and 12 May, hit houses linked to the prime minister. The court did not establish who was behind "EL"; counter-terrorism police found no evidence of a foreign state's involvement.
Responsibility and limits of the evidence
unresolved
The case was looked at and not settled, or the findings are disputed or have been rejected.
Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey), sędzia Garnham / 2026-06-19 / carrying out the act
The court found that the perpetrator acted on the instructions of a man he knew only as "EL" ("EL Money"), whom he had never met, for promised money, and was to him "a useful idiot" used "for some unknown cause". The court did not establish who EL is or whom he worked for. Counter-terrorism police said after the verdict that there was no evidence the attacks were sponsored by a hostile state; the prosecution described the perpetrators' motive as financial. The verdict concerns the perpetrators, not whoever ordered the acts.
finality not established
Impact
killed
0
injured
0
damage
property damage
The court recorded no injuries.
What happened next
Old Bailey: Roman Lavrynovych sentenced to 7 years and Stanislav Carpiuc to 2 years for conspiracy to commit arson reckless as to endangering life; the third defendant, Petro Pochynok, was acquitted. A sentencing does not create a new incident on the timeline; whether the judgment is final is not established.