Duo jailed over arson attacks targeting Prime Minister’s properties

Carpiuc (a Romanian national) and Lavrynovych, a Ukrainian national, were both found guilty of conspiracy to commit arson following a trial held at The Old Bailey.

Commander Helen Flanagan, head of CTP London, said: “The prison sentences in this case reflect the incredibly reckless actions of the two men involved. I would like to praise the swift work of the investigation team who identified the men involved within a few days of the fires. This was essential in ensuring that vital forensic and digital evidence was seized before it could be destroyed.”

Flanagan added: “One of the men, Carpiuc, was arrested at an airport, demonstrating how close he came to fleeing the country and escaping justice. Crimes, such as arson, being directed by anonymous online accounts promising payment is a recurring trend in our casework. Our message to anyone who might be approached in this way, or is thinking about doing similar, is to think again. As we’ve seen here, you will not be paid as you are promised and you will be identified and brought to justice. The only thing you will be left with is facing the prospect of a lengthy jail sentence.”

When delivering his sentence, the presiding Judge described Lavrynovych as a “useful idiot” in carrying out the attacks and noted that Lavrynovych was “utterly reckless” in endangering the lives of the occupants in the residential properties targeted.

Background to the case

CTP London detectives took charge of the investigation into the series of fires after the third arson attack at a house in Islington, North London, on 12 May last year. This property is owned by the Prime Minister.

The first arson attack took place on 8 May 2025 when a Toyota car, that formerly belonged to the Prime Minister, was set alight.

On 11 May last year, a fire was set in the doorway of another residential property in Islington. The property was managed by a company of which the Prime Minister was formerly a director and shareholder.

Lavrynovych was arrested at his home address on 13 May 2025 after detectives linked him to the scenes via surveillance camera footage. Detectives quickly sifted through thousands of messages (including many that had to be translated from Ukrainian to English). These messages revealed the communication between Lavrynovych and Carpiuc both before and after the arson attacks.

Lavrynovych’s phone data history also showed he had carried out reconnaissance ahead of the attacks.

Detectives recovered contact on the Telegram messaging app between Lavrynovych and a contact known as ‘El Money’, which showed he had been recruited, instructed and promised with payment for the fires he was told to start. Police also recovered contact on the Telegram messaging app between Carpiuc and ‘El Money’.

‘El Money’ communicated in Russian, in contrast to the Ukrainian otherwise used by the defendants. Carpiuc also communicated with Lavrynovych about his payment.

Romania-bound flight

Carpiuc was arrested on 17 May last year in the departure lounge at Luton Airport. He was about to board a flight to Romania.

In addition to the digital evidence, counter-terrorism detectives forensically linked a pair of Lavrynovych’s trainers to the white spirit used in the Ellington Street fire. They also recovered a petrol can with his DNA on it and obtained surveillance footage from B&Q showing him buying white spirit shortly before the arson attacks.

Lavrynovych, aged 22 of Sydenham and a Ukrainian national, was also convicted of two counts of arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered. He was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment consisting of seven years in relation to the conspiracy to commit arson and a concurrent sentence of four years’ imprisonment in respect of the two counts of arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered.

Carpiuc, aged 27 of Romford, was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment in relation to his involvement in the arson conspiracy.