Ukrainian man accused of torching UK PM's house tells police he never heard of Keir Starmer

A Ukrainian man accused of setting fire to the prime minister's house told police he had never heard of Sir Keir Starmer, the Old Bailey has heard.

During a police interview, Lavrynovych was asked several times if he knew who Sir Keir was and whether he held a grudge against him. He repeatedly answered no.

All three men, who live in London, face charges of conspiring together, and with others, to damage property by fire between April 1 and May 13, 2025.

Lavrynovych, of Lewisham in south-east London, also stands charged with damaging property by fire with intent to endanger life on May 11 and 12, 2025, at two properties in north London connected to Sir Keir.

A transcript of a police interview with Lavrynovych from May 13, 2025, was read to jurors on Wednesday.

In it, a detective asked: "I just want to ask you about our prime minister. Do you know who that is?"

The detective continued: "Okay so Keir Starmer's our current prime minister, he lives in London. Do you have any thoughts about Keir Starmer and the Labour Party and the government in general?"

"No, not at all," Lavrynovych replied. He said "not really" when asked if he had any interest in British politics.

He also answered no when asked if he held any grudges against Sir Keir or the government.

On May 8, 2025, a Toyota car previously owned by the prime minister was found on fire on a street he once lived on in Kentish Town, north London. Three days later, a fire broke out at flats in nearby Islington where Sir Keir had lived.

On May 12, 2025, a fire was found at the front entrance to Sir Keir's Kentish Town home, in the same street where the car burned. The house was being rented out to his sister-in-law.

Jurors have heard that after the final fire, someone called "El Money" messaged Lavrynovych: "Look, you attacked the home of a very high-ranking person in Britain. I'll send you money, you need to leave the city." Lavrynovych was arrested hours later.

When questioned by police, Lavrynovych denied involvement in the fires. He said he was at home on the dates of the first two incidents and visiting his friend Petro in Camden on the third.

In a prepared statement, he claimed the contact had offered money to check for CCTV and given instructions about two addresses. "He said that once done, he would pay me and I trusted him. I needed the money. He has not paid me though."

Lavrynovych added: "I felt threatened. He threatened me by saying that I would have to do the job as he knew where I lived. I was scared as my grandmother lives at the same address and I could not be sure that he would not do anything."