The instruction was simple: set the car on fire and record the footage. Stanislav Carpiuc, a 27-year-old Ukrainian-born Romanian national, told the Old Bailey on Wednesday that he flatly refused. He called the plan "pure stupidity."

Carpiuc is currently on trial alongside Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Petro Pochynok, 35. All three men face charges of conspiring to damage property by fire between April and May 2025. The targets were properties and a vehicle connected to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. They deny the charges.

The Financial Motive

The court heard that the motivation for the attacks was money. Lavrynovych, who admits to starting the fire on May 8, 2025, allegedly sought funds to pay for his father’s medical treatment. He claimed to have been recruited by an anonymous, Russian-speaking online contact known as "El Money."

Carpiuc testified that he knew Lavrynovych was being paid, but insisted he remained an outsider to the plot. He told jurors he tried to talk his friend out of the arson. "I explained to him that walking around in the streets of the city setting fire to cars is not a good idea," Carpiuc said through a Russian translator. "It's a very serious crime."

Despite his warnings, the attack proceeded. A Toyota previously owned by the Prime Minister was set ablaze on a street where he once lived. Lavrynovych admits to the act. He is also accused of starting two subsequent fires at properties in Islington and Kentish Town linked to Sir Keir on May 11 and 12, 2025. He denies those additional charges.

A Denied Conspiracy

Carpiuc’s defense centers on his lack of direct participation. He told the court he was working a 12-hour shift at a west London hotel when the car was torched. He claims he only learned of the fire through a frantic phone call from Pochynok.

"I told him he's gone mad," Carpiuc said of his reaction to the news. He maintained that he was out drinking with friends during the later fires in Islington and Kentish Town. While he admits to providing Lavrynovych with contact details for Pochynok, he denies any role in the conspiracy to commit arson.

Key Takeaways

  • Stanislav Carpiuc claims he rejected an alleged accomplice's request to film the arson attack, labeling the plot "pure stupidity."
  • Roman Lavrynovych admits to setting fire to a car formerly owned by Sir Keir Starmer, citing a need for money to cover his father's medical bills.
  • The prosecution alleges the three defendants conspired with "others" to target properties and a vehicle connected to the Prime Minister in May 2025.

The trial at the Old Bailey is expected to continue into next week. As the jury weighs the evidence, the focus will shift to the digital trail left by the mysterious "El Money" account. The verdict will determine whether these acts were the work of a coordinated cell or a desperate, isolated effort by individuals recruited online. The jury is expected to begin deliberations once the final witnesses conclude their testimony on Friday.