Three young men have been charged with arson, and a fourth person has been arrested, in connection with the burning of four ambulances operated by the Jewish medical charity Hatzolah in north London, British authorities have said.
British citizens Hamza Iqbal, 20, and Rehan Khan, 19, appeared on Saturday at a Westminster court alongside an unnamed 17-year-old UK-Pakistani dual national over the March 23 attack.
All three were remanded in custody, with the 17-year-old ordered to be held in youth detention accommodation. The defendants are due to appear at London’s Central Criminal Court, better known as the Old Bailey, on April 24.
The fourth man was arrested at the court after police officers recognised him as a suspect. “While attending the hearing of three other suspects, officers recognised the man as being involved in the arson attack. He was then taken into custody,” the capital’s Metropolitan Police said.
The three suspects were arrested at separate addresses in East London. They were charged with arson, “being reckless as to whether life would be endangered,” police said in a statement.
The first three suspects did not enter pleas at the 45-minute hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.
“There is significant evidence that this was a premeditated and targeted attack against the Jewish community,” prosecutor Emma Harraway told the court.
Two men in their 40s were released on bail on March 25 over the attack in Golders Green, which is home to a significant Jewish population. Nobody was physically hurt in the attack.
