Jewish baby thrown from building to escape fire ignited by antisemitic London arsonist

Ian Pitkin, a 64-year-old resident of the London Borough of Hackney, was sentenced to life imprisonment after he set his own apartment on fire to harm the Jewish family which lived above him, the Metropolitan Police and British media reported earlier this week. 

Pitkin, who will serve a minimum term of six years and 17 days, “was motivated by, and demonstrate[d] a, hostility towards people of Jewish faith," according to the sentencing remarks made by Judge Daniel Fugallo. 

The arson saw a Jewish family drop their young baby from a second-story window to escape the flames, according to the Hackney Gazette. 

Neither the police nor media reports commented on the health status of the baby after the incident.

The Wood Green Crown Court sentenced Pitkin on September 6, after he pled guilty at a previous hearing to arson with intent to endanger life, four counts of possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and three counts of having an offensive weapon in a public place.

Details of the fire

Officers responded to a call of a fire at Pitkin’s residence at 12:45 p.m. on March 20, 2024, the Metropolitan police said. He was arrested only shortly after while receiving medical treatment for injuries he sustained during the fire.

During a search of Pitkin’s vehicle, officers found “a number of jerry cans filled with petrol, as well as four air weapons, three knives and two hammers,” the police said. 

Pitkin was not the only one injured by the flames, as four others were hurt including a passerby, according to Jewish News. One member of the Jewish family above Pitkin suffered a fractured hip after jumping out of the window to escape the flames. 

Officials comment on the sentencing

Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway, policing lead for Hackney and Tower Hamlets, said, "Pitkin’s actions endangered the lives of his neighbours, who were forced to flee their homes in fear for their lives. Several victims were forced to jump from their windows and a family even had to throw their baby down to waiting relatives below.

“The damage to the building speaks for itself and it is remarkable that nobody was more seriously injured. However, the psychological impact was well evidenced through the victim impact statements submitted to court, with victims reporting hearing explosions as the fire took hold in the property below them.

"My officers have worked for many months to investigate the motive for this incident and gather evidence to explain Pitkin’s actions. This incident was pre-planned, rather than spontaneous, with Pitkin purchasing jerry cans and petrol in the week prior to the incident, in addition to having previously acquired numerous air pistols and bladed weapons.

“We believe the arson and planned action was linked to a housing dispute and Pitkin indicated a clear intention to harm others, beyond those injured in the fire, who were connected with that housing dispute.

“In doing so we were able to evidence the fact that he expressed clear anti-Semitic sentiment on several occasions and the Crown Prosecution Service invited the court to treat racial and religious hostility as an aggravating factors."