Four young men pleaded guilty at London’s Old Bailey to an arson attack that destroyed four volunteer medical ambulances operated by the Jewish charity Hatzola in Golders Green on March 23, causing approximately £1 million in damage and prompting fierce counter-terrorism legal arguments over a potential Iranian connection.
Guilty Pleas Entered at the Old Bailey
Four defendants appeared in court to admit their roles in a destructive early-morning raid that targeted emergency medical vehicles in north London. Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, Judex Atshatshi, 18, and Saif Ali, 18, each pleaded guilty to a charge of destroying or damaging property while being reckless as to whether life would be endangered, as reported by The Guardian.
The defendants entered their pleas through a mix of video links from Wandsworth and Pentonville prisons and an in-person appearance in the dock. Senior judge Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb remanded all four men into custody while ordering pre-sentence reports ahead of their eventual sentencing.
The Golders Green Arson Attack and Hatzola Fleet Destruction
The incident unfolded in the early hours of March 23 when four vehicles operated by the charity Hatzola were set alight while parked near a synagogue in Golders Green, an area of north-west London with a substantial Jewish population. Established in 1979 and run by volunteers, Hatzola provides free emergency medical transportation to hospitals regardless of faith.
According to prosecutors, three of the defendants ignited the fully stocked vehicles while a fourth waited nearby in a blue Toyota Avensis. The resulting flames triggered explosions from gas canisters stored inside the vehicles. The blaze completely destroyed the fleet—with each ambulance valued between £240,000 and £250,000—while also ruining four electrical charging stations and cables costing approximately £5,000 each. Nearby flats and a synagogue sustained additional fire damage.
Terrorism Allegations and Counter-Terrorism Investigations
The Crown Prosecution Service signaled its intention to push for terrorism-related sentencing enhancements. Prosecutor Leo Seelig told the court that the attack carried a terrorist connection
, though defence counsel strongly contested that characterization, arguing there was no evidence to support a terror link at this stage. Mrs Justice Cheema Grubb declined to rule on the terrorism question during the plea hearing.
Investigators examined whether the arson was tied to broader geopolitical flashpoints. The attack occurred in the weeks following initial military strikes on Iran, and counter-terrorism police investigated potential involvement by Iranian proxies. An Iran-aligned group known as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya (HAYI) claimed responsibility online for the ambulance arson alongside other European incidents. Meanwhile, the Iranian Embassy in the U.K. issued statements maintaining that it categorically rejects
any involvement in violent incidents across Britain.
Community Impact and Pre-Trial Phone Searches
A spokesperson for the Community Security Trust stated that the actions of the four men caused immense shock and distress across the Jewish community
and called the incident an appalling antisemitic act against a volunteer ambulance service providing emergency medical assistance to people of all backgrounds across north London, simply because those ambulances belonged to a Jewish charity.
Court disclosures also highlighted premeditation behind the raid. Forensic examinations of Iqbal’s seized mobile phone uncovered searches for how much do ambulances cost
and how long does it take for police to (investigate) arsons
, as detailed by The Jerusalem Post. Investigators similarly tracked WhatsApp conversations regarding the purchase of the getaway car.
Next Legal Steps and Spring 2027 Sentencing Schedule
The four men will not be sentenced immediately. Justice Cheema-Grubb ruled that their sentencing hearings will take place in the spring of 2027 upon the conclusion of a separate trial for a fifth defendant.
That fifth defendant, 18-year-old Subhan Ahmed from Walthamstow, pleaded not guilty to a single charge of assisting an offender by allegedly helping dispose of the vehicle used in the attack. Ahmed’s trial is scheduled to begin at the Old Bailey on January 27.
