An 18-year-old man has been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged over an arson attack on Jewish community ambulances in north-west London. Judex Atshatshi, a British national from Dagenham, east London, appeared at Westminster magistrates' court on Saturday accused of arson with intent to damage property and being reckless as to whether life would be endangered.
The ambulances, operated by Hatzola, a volunteer-led service in the Golders Green area, were set alight on the morning of 23 March. Prosecutors said gas canisters stored in the vehicles exploded, causing approximately £1m of damage. They believe the incident was a targeted attack against the Jewish community.
Atshatshi is the fourth suspect to be charged in connection with the attack. Three others – Hamza Iqbal, 20, and Rehan Khan, 19, both from Leyton, east London, and a 17-year-old boy of dual British-Pakistani nationality from Walthamstow – were previously charged with arson and being reckless as to whether life would be endangered, and remanded in custody in early April.
The Metropolitan police said Atshatshi was arrested on Thursday after counter-terrorism detectives attended two addresses in east London. Another 18-year-old arrested the same day on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life has been released on bail until July. All four defendants are due to appear at the Old Bailey on 24 April.
Frank Ferguson, head of the Crown Prosecution Service's special crime and counter-terrorism division, said: "We have worked closely with the Metropolitan police's counter-terrorism command as it carried out its investigation. We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against these defendants are active and that they have the right to a fair trial. It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings."
Hatzola, which began in New York in the 1960s, provides an augmented ambulance service in Hasidic communities but assists anyone in need. Andrew Walters, an Orthodox Jewish councillor in Greater Manchester, said in March: "It's not just a Jewish service. If a call comes from within the area, they will come to your aid, whoever you are. There's no cost to anyone, and even on the sabbath, they'll go to any case."
