Ukrainian Faces Court Over Fires Tied to UK PM Starmer
LONDON (Reuters) - A Ukrainian man appeared in a London court on Friday to face charges of arson following a counter-terrorism investigation into a series of fires all linked to Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Roman Lavrynovych, 21, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' court accused of three counts of arson with intent to endanger life. He spoke through an interpreter to confirm his name and address and he was remanded in custody until his next hearing at London's Old Bailey court on June 6.
British police were called to a blaze early on Monday at the property in Kentish Town, north London — the constituency Starmer represents. No one was injured, but the entrance to the home was damaged.
Lavrynovych was arrested the following day in connection with that fire and two further incidents - a fire at the entrance of a property in nearby Islington on Sunday and a vehicle fire in Kentish Town on Thursday.
Before moving into Number 10, Starmer lived at the Kentish Town address with his wife and two children. Prosecutors said the car and both properties were linked to the prime minister.
Describing the incident in parliament on Wednesday, Starmer called it "an attack on all of us, on our democracy and the values we stand for."
(Reporting by Michael Holden, writing by Sam Tabahriti; editing by William James)
