Teenager in court charged with arson after Jewish ambulances on fire

The fourth suspect charged following the torching of four Jewish community ambulances in Golders Green has appeared in court. 

Judex Atshatshi, 18, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Saturday, charged with intent to damage property and being reckless as to whether life would be endangered. 

During the hearing, Atshatshi spoke to confirm his name, date of birth and address. He was then remanded in custody. 

Atshatshi, a British national of Dagenham, was arrested on April 16 after counter terrorism detectives attended two addresses in east London. 

The arrest came as the ambulances from Hatzola - a volunteer-led service - were set on fire in the early hours of March 23 outside a synagogue in a suspected anti-Semitic hate crime. 

Three people have previously been charged in connection with the incident and were remanded in custody earlier this month.

Two British men, Hamza Iqbal, 20, and Rehan Khan, 19, from Leyton, east London; and a 17-year-old boy, of dual British-Pakistani nationality, from Walthamstow were also charged with one count of arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered. 

The four defendants are set to appear at the Old Bailey on Friday, April 24.

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.'

40 firefighters and six fire engines rushed to Highfield Road, near the Mchzike Hadath synagogue, at approximately 1.45am following the incident. 

The firebombing caused gas canisters stored in the ambulances to explode, with the force from the blast causing windows to break in a block of flats close by.

The synagogue, one of Europe's oldest, had its roof damaged and stained glass windows smashed in the fire. 

There were no injuries. 

In the wake of the attack, the Met Police has since deployed an additional 264 officers as well as specialist teams including firearms, the mounted branch and drones, to boost security for Jewish communities in the run up to Passover. 

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the attack as 'deeply shocking' in the aftermath.

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Teen, 18, is the fourth person to be charged over arson attack on four Jewish community ambulances

He said: 'My thoughts are with the Jewish community who are waking up this morning to this horrific news.

'Antisemitism has no place in our society. Anyone with any information must come forward to the police.'

Gideon Falter, chief executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: 'We are absolutely heartbroken that this is how low Britain has sunk.

'This horrific act truly plumbs new depths.'

The volunteer-run Jewish organisation Hatzola, founded in 1979, provides free emergency medical response and transportation to hospitals. 

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has since announced the four ambulances would be replaced by vehicles from the London Ambulance Service.