LONDON — Four men have admitted setting fire to four Jewish community ambulances in north-west London in an arson attack that caused about £1m of damage. The vehicles, operated by the charity Hatzola, were set alight in Golders Green in the early hours of 23 March.
Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, Judex Atshatshi, 18, and Saif Ali, 18, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to destroying or damaging property while being reckless as to whether life would be endangered. Prosecutors said they believe the incident was a targeted attack against the Jewish community.
The court heard that three of the men lit the fully stocked ambulances while a fourth waited in a nearby car.
Gas canisters exploded as vehicles and charging equipment were destroyed
Once the ambulances were alight, gas canisters inside the vehicles exploded, adding to the scale of the destruction. Each ambulance was valued at about £250,000, and all four were destroyed in the blaze.
The fire also damaged four electrical charging stations and their cables, with each set of equipment costing about £5,000. The damage bill was put at roughly £1m overall, reflecting both the loss of the vehicles and the additional infrastructure that was affected.
Hatzola is a volunteer-run, non-profit Jewish-led service that provides emergency medical response and transport to hospital regardless of faith. It has served the Golders Green community since 1979, with volunteers offering a free service to local residents across north London.
Judge postpones terrorism ruling until after fifth defendant’s trial
Prosecuting barrister Leo Seelig told the court that the Crown Prosecution Service would argue the men should be sentenced on the basis that the arson was related to terrorism. Mrs Justice Cheema Grubb said she would not decide that question at this stage.
Defence lawyers said there was no evidence of any terrorism link. The judge said sentencing would take place after the trial of a fifth man, Subhan Ahmed, who denies assisting an offender.
Iqbal and Khan, both of Leyton, Atshatshi, of Dagenham, and Ali, of Walthamstow, were remanded into custody. Sentencing is expected in spring next year, once the outstanding case has been heard.
Jewish community charity welcomes guilty pleas after shock and distress
The Community Security Trust, which works to protect British Jews from terrorism and antisemitism, welcomed the guilty pleas. It said the attack caused immense shock and distress across the Jewish community.
A spokesperson described the blaze as an appalling antisemitic act against a volunteer ambulance service that provides emergency medical help to people of all backgrounds across north London simply because the ambulances belonged to a Jewish charity.
The case has also drawn wider international attention because of separate US court papers and intelligence reporting mentioned in court. Those papers allege links between the attack and an Iraqi militia commander facing proceedings in New York, though the defendants’ lawyers have said none of the men before the Old Bailey are involved in terrorism.
The latest UK news and stories from The Rotation.
