Four plead guilty to arson attack on Jewish community ambulances

Four men pleaded guilty to arson that destroyed four Jewish community ambulances in north‑west London, causing about £1 million in damage. Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, Judex Atshatshi, and Saif Ali, both 18, entered guilty pleas at the Old Bailey to charges of destroying or damaging property while being reckless as to whether life would be endangered. The attack took place in the early hours of 23 March, when four ambulances operated by the charity Hatzola were set alight in Golders Green. Prosecutors said they believed the incident was a targeted assault against the Jewish community. During the incident, three of the men were alleged to have ignited the fully stocked ambulances, while the fourth waited in a nearby car. After the ambulances caught fire, fuel canisters exploded inside the vehicles. In addition to destroying each £250,000 ambulance, the blaze damaged four electrical charging stations and associated cables, each costing roughly £5,000. Leo Seelig, prosecuting, told the court that the Crown Prosecution Service would argue that the four men should be sentenced on the basis that the arson was linked to terrorism. Mrs Justice Cheema‑Grubb said she would not rule on the terrorism question at this stage, noting that defence counsel argued there was no evidence to support such a link. The judge said sentencing for the four would follow the outcome of the trial of a fifth man, Subhan Ahmed, who has denied assisting an offender.