Four men have pleaded guilty over an arson attack that destroyed four Jewish community ambulances and caused around £1 million in damage in north-west London.
Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, Judex Atshatshi, 18, and Saif Ali, 18, entered guilty pleas at the Old Bailey.
The men admitted a charge of destroying or damaging property while acting recklessly as to whether their actions could endanger life.
Ambulances Set Ablaze in Golders Green
The attack happened during the early hours of March 23 in Golders Green.
The four vehicles belonged to Hatzola, a Jewish-led charity that provides emergency medical services in north London.
According to prosecutors, three of the men set fire to the fully equipped ambulances. Meanwhile, the fourth man waited in a nearby car.
After the fires started, gas canisters inside the vehicles exploded.
As a result, all four ambulances suffered extensive damage. Each vehicle cost around £250,000.
The fire also damaged four electrical charging stations and their cables. Each charging station and cable cost approximately £5,000.
Prosecutors Raise Terrorism Concern
Prosecutor Leo Seelig told the court that the Crown Prosecution Service would argue for the defendants to receive sentences on the basis that the attack had a terrorism connection.
However, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said she would not decide that issue at this stage.
Defence lawyers, meanwhile, argued that the evidence did not establish a connection with terrorism.
The court will consider the issue as the legal proceedings continue.
Fifth Man Denies Assisting Offender
The four men will remain in custody while the case against a fifth defendant continues.
Subhan Ahmed has denied a charge of assisting an offender.
Therefore, the court will sentence the four men after the outcome of Ahmed’s trial.
Iqbal and Khan are from Leyton, while Atshatshi comes from Dagenham and Ali comes from Walthamstow.
Hatzola Serves North London Community
Hatzola has supported the Golders Green community since 1979.
The volunteer-run organisation provides free emergency medical assistance and transportation to hospitals.
Importantly, its volunteers provide help regardless of a patient’s faith or background.
The organisation’s name comes from the Hebrew word for “save” or “rescue.”
Jewish Community Condemns Attack
The Community Security Trust (CST), which works to protect British Jews from terrorism and antisemitism, welcomed the guilty pleas.
The charity said the attack caused immense shock and distress across the Jewish community.
Furthermore, a CST spokesperson described the incident as an antisemitic attack against a volunteer ambulance service.
The spokesperson said the organisation provides emergency medical assistance to people from different backgrounds across north London.
The guilty pleas now move the case closer to sentencing, while the court continues to consider the separate proceedings involving the fifth defendant.
