The third suspect in a series of arson attacks on properties linked to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has turned out to be Ukrainian. He is 34-year-old Petro Pochynk.
The Times writes about this.
The first person to be detained in this case was 21-year-old Ukrainian Roman Lavrynovych on May 15, followed by another man. Pochinko was the third person to be detained on May 19 and taken into custody.
According to the Times, in addition to the Ukrainian citizens, the case also involves a 26-year-old Romanian citizen who was born in Ukraine. His name is Stanislav Karpiuk.
Karpiuk is accused of conspiring with Lavrynovych to commit arson that could endanger life. Judge Paul Goldspring refused Karpiuk bail and he was remanded in custody. Both he and Lavrynovych are due to appear again at the Old Bailey on June 6.
- The charges relate to three incidents over four days. According to the investigation, the men set fire to a car in Kentish Town, north London, Starmerʼs private home on the same street and another house where Starmer lived before becoming prime minister, which is now rented out. No one was injured, but the front door of one of the houses was damaged.
- Starmer himself said that the arson attacks on properties associated with him were “an attack on all of us, on democracy and the values we stand for”. The investigation is being led by the London police’s counter-terrorism unit, as the attacks are linked to a high-profile public figure.
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