Three men accused of a series of arson attacks against properties and a car linked to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer are set to stand trial in April next year.
Ukrainians Petro Pochynok, 34, and Roman Lavrynovych, 21, and Ukrainian-born Romanian national Stanislav Carpiuc, 26, are all accused over the fires in north London in May.
Lavrynovych and Carpiuc appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday for a hearing in front of Mrs Justice Cheema Grubb, when the case was set for trial on April 27 next year.
Pochynok had also been expected at the preliminary hearing, but the court heard he refused to leave his cell this morning.
All three defendants have been remanded in custody until a plea hearing on October 17.
The court heard the trial is set to take place at the Old Bailey, and will be overseen by a High Court judge.
Lavrynovych, of Sydenham, south-east London, is charged with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life, while Pochynok, of Holloway Road in Islington, north London, and Carpiuc, of Chadwell Heath, east London, are accused of conspiring to commit arson with intent to endanger life.
Prosecutor Sarah Przybykska told an earlier court hearing that the case relates to three fires suspected of being started deliberately over the course of five days.
She told the hearing: “On May 8 in relation to a car parked in a residential street in Kentish Town, on May 11 in relation to a residential property in Islington, and on May 12 in relation to a residential property in the same street in Kentish Town when the car had been parked.
“The car and both properties were linked to the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer.”
The Kentish Town property was Sir Keir’s home before he became Prime Minister and moved into 10 Downing Street.
Police were alerted by the London Fire Brigade (LFB) to reports of a fire at the residential address at 1.35am, and damage was caused to the property's entrance.
The Prime Minister’s former 4x4 car had been set alight a few days earlier, it is said, and firefighters also had to tackle a small fire at the front door of a house converted into flats in Islington.
The Metropolitan Police has said a 48-year-old man was also arrested at Stansted Airport on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life. He faced questioning and has been set free on bail until July.
The two defendants present at Friday’s court hearing spoke to confirm their names and dates of birth.
They did not enter any pleas, and were assisted in understanding parts of the hearing by a Ukrainian interpreter.
