Hackney Fire arsonist charged, may not have had antisemitic motives

An arsonist who caused a Wednesday London house fire in which four people were injured was charged on Sunday, but not with any religiously or racially motivated offenses, and therefore may not have been motivated by antisemitism as suggested in an initial investigation.

The 60-year-old man arrested on suspicion of arson near the scene of the midday Hackney borough blaze was charged with arson with intent to endanger life, possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and possession of an offensive weapon in a private place.

“We are pleased that our thorough investigation has led the Crown Prosecution Service to agree on these significant charges,” said Tower Hamlets and Hackney police commander Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway. “To protect the integrity of the judicial process and to ensure justice for the victims and our community, we are rightfully limited in what we can now say. However, we will continue to engage with our close partners in the local community, including the Community Security Trust (CST) and Shomrim to support those impacted by this incident.”

Conway said on Thursday that it was working with the two Jewish community groups after the arsonist had reportedly made “a number of threatening comments, some of which were allegedly antisemitic,” upon arrest.

“We take instances of antisemitism extremely seriously and for this reason we’re investigating the incident as a potential hate crime,” said Conway in a Thursday police statement. “Whilst the investigation will continue to explore the motivation for this offence, we believe at this stage that this was centered on a localized housing-related issue.

We have no indication, at this very early stage, that the motivation was connected with any specific local or global events.”

Three of the people wounded in the fire were residents, said police, and the fourth casualty was a passerby. None of them suffered life threatening injuries, but according to the London Fire Brigade they were taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews. Police said that the suspect had also been taken to hospital for minor injuries suffered in the inferno. Three other residents had managed to exit the three-story house before the arrival of rescue services.

Controlling the blaze

Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters were needed to bring the blaze under control, according to the fire brigade. The ground and first floors of the house were destroyed.

“Crews worked hard to bring the fire under control and stop the fire from spreading to neighboring properties,” Station Commander Alan Bendell said in a Wednesday statement.

Conway had assured London Jews that the police would endeavor to protect them ahead of the Jewish holiday of Purim.

“I know our Jewish communities are about to begin celebrations for Purim, and we have a robust policing plan in place, including increased patrols and enhanced police visibility, to ensure the festivities can be enjoyed safely and securely,” said Conway. CST said on X on Thursday that they had been in contact with the police about the issue.