Two “useful idiots” have been jailed for a series of arson attacks targeting Sir Keir Starmer on the orders of a shadowy Russian-speaking taskmaster. In May last year, a car and two houses linked to the Prime Minister were set alight in north London by Roman Lavrynovych.

He was acting on the instructions of an anonymous Telegram user called El Money who was reportedly linked to a Russian online sabotage network. The court heard El Money offered Lavrynovych £3,000 in cryptocurrency if the blazes were filmed and got on the news. Stanislav Carpiuc supported and encouraged his friend Lavrynovych and was going to help him convert the promised payment into cash. Following an Old Bailey trial, Ukrainian Lavrynovych, 22, and Romanian Carpiuc, 27, were found guilty of plotting to damage the properties. On Friday, Lavrynovych was jailed for seven years and Carpiuc was sentenced to two years in prison.

THIS IS A BREAKING STORY. MORE TO FOLLOW...

In a televised sentencing at the Old Bailey, Mr Justice Garnham told Lavrynovych: "You agreed to carry out this mindless piece of arson for money. You were not a man of great principle and you were easily bought.”

He rejected the defendant’s claim he did not know the two houses he set fire to were occupied, saying: "You really didn’t care about that.

"I accept you did not intend to put the lives of the occupants at risk but it is my conclusion on both occasions you were utterly reckless about the risks you were creating."

The judge accepted the attacks had been instigated by El Money, but told Lavrynovych: "You were to El (Money) a useful idiot and fool who could be manipulated to his advantage.”

He said the defendant had been a "pawn" and used for some "unknown cause" which put lives at risk.

The court heard Lavrynovych had first set fire to a Toyota Rav4 which was once owned by Sir Keir.

Days later, the front doors of two houses were set ablaze, including the Prime Minister’s home – which has been occupied by his sister-in-law since he moved to Downing Street.

The north London attacks in the middle of the night while people were in bed asleep posed a serious threat to life and left householders terrified, the Old Bailey heard.

Sir Keir’s sister-in-law Judith Alexander had described her alarm at seeing billowing black smoke going up the stairs while she, her daughter and partner were in the house.

In the aftermath, El Money encouraged Lavrynovych to flee, saying: “Look, you attacked the home of a very high-ranking person in Britain. I’ll send you money, you need to leave the city.”

Lavrynovych was charged on May 15 last year and Carpiuc was stopped at Luton Airport as he waited for a flight to Romania two days later.

In his defence, construction worker Lavrynovych, from Sydenham, south London, admitted the arson attacks but claimed he had been threatened by El Money.

Hotel worker Carpiuc, from Romford, east London, said he had refused to get involved and told Lavrynovych the plan was “stupid”.

On Monday, a jury rejected their explanations and found them guilty of conspiracy to damage property by fire.

Lavrynovych was also convicted of damaging two properties by fire being reckless as to whether life was endangered on May 11 and 12 last year.

In mitigation for Lavrynovych, James Scobie KC stressed the “shame” his client had brought on his family in Ukraine.

He said: “He gained absolutely nothing from this. He was used, on any view, utterly naive, utterly gullible, unthinking and a complete and utter foot soldier.

“How worrying that is for us all that there are individuals like this who are fodder for this type of infiltration who has not got a clue who the ‘big man’ was – turns out to be the Prime Minister.

“He is what he is – a boy, and a very immature boy at that.”

Carpiuc’s barrister Shahid Rashid said his client was “always the money man”.

He told the court: “His function was to realise the cryptocurrency. It is also important he was not going to get anything out of it. His motivation was helping a friend out who needed money desperately for his father’s medical treatment.”

Counter Terrorism Policing London have said it has found no evidence leading to any specific person, group or organisation to be associated with the El Money social media account.