Two of the three man accused of an arson campaign at properties and a car linked to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer have pleaded not guilty.
Ukrainians Petro Pochynok, 34, and Roman Lavrynovych, 21, are accused with Ukrainian-born Romanian national Stanislav Carpiuc, 26, of a conspiracy to damage property by fire.
At the Old Bailey on Friday, Pochynok and Lavrynovych appeared on separate videolinks from HMP Belmarsh to enter not guilty pleas to the charge.
It is said they “conspired to damage by fire property belonging to another”, and it is alleged they were either “intending to endanger the life of another, or being reckless whether the life of another would thereby be endangered”.
Carpiuc also appeared at the hearing by videolink from Belmarsh prison. He faces the same charge, and will enter his plea at a later date.
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb adjourned the case until a further hearing on November 28. A trial is scheduled to start on April 27 next year.
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, Pochynok, of Holloway Road in Islington, north London, and Carpiuc, of Chadwell Heath, east London, are all remanded in custody to await their trial.
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.
“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 damaged 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.
All three defendants followed court proceedings with the help of a Ukrainian interpreter.
