Ukranian accused of setting fire to Starmer's former home says taskmaster El Money 'is terrorist – but I’m not'

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Roman Lavrynovych is accused, along with Stanislav Carpiuc and Petro Pochynok, of arson attacks on a vehicle and two houses in north London last May.

A Telegram contact known as El Money offered thousands of pounds for Lavrynovych, 22, to carry out the attacks on condition he filmed it and it got on the news, the Old Bailey has heard.

Under cross-examination on Tuesday, Lavrynovych insisted he had no idea at the time that the properties were associated with the Prime Minister and was "shocked" when he found out.

Dominic D’Souza KC, for Pochynok, said: "El Money was a foreign national asking you to set fires in this country and you were joining forces with him to do so.

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"Do you agree that one or both of you are terrorists?" The defendant disagreed. Mr D’Souza went on: "Do you agree El Money, a foreign national setting fire to the Prime Minister’s properties, or property he had a connection with, was a terrorist?"

Lavrynovych: "Yes, I agree with this."

He told jurors that he also viewed Russian leader Vladimir Putin as a terrorist for invading his home country.

Lavrynovych came to the UK days before the war broke out and was aged 21 when he firebombed the Prime Minister’s former home, the court heard.

He told jurors he was "not mature enough" to be called up to fight had he stayed in his home country.

Mr D’Souza observed: "While there were men in your country dying for their country you were here setting fires.

"In your country, if you had set fire to (Volodymyr) Zelensky’s home, would you be shot?"

Lavrynovych observed that he did not know the address and the Ukrainian president would be surrounded by security.

He told jurors he had initially been "scared" set fire to Sir Keir’s old car but did it after El Money sent him "threatening messages".

Mr D’Souza said: "Just so you know, I don’t accept for one second El Money threatened you at all. You and El Money were thick as thieves.

"You hassled El Money like a jilted lover for money relentlessly, didn’t you?" Lavrynovych replied: "No, that’s not true."

The defendant said that El Money promised payment which he needed "urgently" for treatment for his sick father.

Pochynok filmed two seconds of the attack on Sir Keir’s old Toyota car but would have "run a mile" had he known about the plan in advance, his lawyer said.

Mr D’Souza asked: "Is this right, that when Pochynok realised what you were doing he ran away and you caught up with him and bumped fists?"

The defendant replied: "That’s not correct, after we did the job we both ran away."

The defendants are charged with conspiracy to damage property by fire between April 1 and May 13 last year.

Lavrynovych is also charged with damaging two properties by fire with intent to endanger life or being reckless as to whether life was endangered on May 11 and 12 last year.

Lavrynovych, of Lewisham, south-east London, Carpiuc, from Romford, east London, and Pochynok, of Islington, north London, have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

The trial before Mr Justice Garnham was adjourned until Wednesday.