Court Hears Details of Arson Attacks on Properties Linked to UK Prime Minister Starmer

After the fire brigade arrived, Alexander reflected on the danger, noting her daughter's room was right above the fire and what might have happened if she had not woken up. She stayed awake all night.

Prosecutors stated the attacks were orchestrated by a Russian-speaking Telegram contact known as 'El Money,' who offered payment in cryptocurrency. ' CCTV footage shown in court depicted Lavrynovych buying white spirit at a B&Q store near his Lewisham address two days before the car fire.

In a police interview, Lavrynovych initially denied involvement but later said 'El' offered him £1,500 to check for CCTV and provided instructions, though he claimed he did not commit arson and felt threatened.

“I felt threatened. He threatened me by saying that I would have to do the job as he knew where I lived.”

Pochynok and Carpiuc made no comment in their police interviews. All three defendants, who live in London, deny the charges.

The trial began this week and is expected to last three weeks, continuing into late May. Jurors heard witness evidence related to all three attacks, including accounts of smoke filling the targeted house and the family's response. Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson presented the messaging evidence, while Sarah Przybylska read Alexander's statement.

The case involves Ukrainian nationals Lavrynovych and Pochynok, and Ukrainian-born Romanian national Carpiuc.