A convicted arsonist who targeted Sir Keir Starmer's home in a suspected Russian plot has been deported from Britain and banned from returning.
Stanislav Carpiuc, 28, a Ukrainian-born Romanian national, and Roman Lavrynovych, 22, a Ukrainian, were hired to set alight the former prime minister's constituency home, a car he once used, and a flat in Islington linked to Sir Keir.
Attacks across London
The Old Bailey heard locals in Kentish Town, north London, reported a Toyota RAV4 on fire on May 8, 2025. Three nights later, a fire was discovered at a block of flats in Islington where Sir Keir had lived years earlier.
A day later, a blaze was started deliberately at a property in Kentish Town, where a substance, possibly white spirit, was poured on the front door and set alight. The fire spread to the hallway of the home, which was being rented by Sir Keir to his sister-in-law, Judith Alexander. That attack left Ms Alexander struggling to breathe and terrified her nine-year-old. No one was injured in the fire.
Sentences and investigation
The two men were found guilty of conspiring with others to damage property by fire and jailed earlier this year. Carpiuc was sentenced to two years and Lavrynovych to seven years at the Old Bailey on June 19. Lavrynovych was described as a "useful idiot" by the judge.
Lavrynovych was recruited by a Russian-speaking Telegram user named "EL", accepting their offer of money. After the convictions, a BBC investigation linked the "EL" Telegram account to the son of a senior Russian official. The broadcaster alleged that Russian diplomat Evgeny Lyukshin masterminded the plot.
Deportation
Carpiuc has now been deported from the UK and banned from coming back. A Home Office spokesperson said: "This was an abhorrent attack and the conviction and imprisonment of these men should send a clear message to anyone blinded by the promise of money from strangers. You will be caught and face severe consequences. This individual has now been deported from the UK."
