Boy pleads guilty to arson after attack on synagogue in northwest London

A boy has pleaded guilty to arson after a synagogue was attacked in northwest London, telling the court he "didn't know" the building he targeted was a synagogue.

The 17-year-old, a British national who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted arson not endangering life at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

The incident occurred at around 11.35pm on Saturday at Kenton United Synagogue in Shaftsbury Avenue, Harrow.

"I didn't know it was a synagogue," the boy claimed in a prepared statement read to the court.

He added: "I genuinely thought it was an empty building. I had no intention of hurting anyone as nobody was in the building. I am very sorry for my actions."

He also claimed to have "no hate towards the Jewish people or their community".

A written summary of the case described how the defendant was caught on CCTV climbing over the wall at the synagogue.

He then "appeared to throw something at a window to break it, before lighting an object with his left hand and throwing it with his right hand through the window", the summary said.

At around midnight, officers from the Metropolitan Police who were conducting security checks at local synagogues came across the scene and alerted the London Fire Brigade.

The Community Security Trust said minor smoke damage to an internal room was caused, but there were no injuries or significant structural damage.

At the hearing, the teenager spoke only to confirm his personal details and to plead guilty.

District Judge Nina Tempia freed the teenage boy on bail with conditions, including to live and sleep at his home address in Brent and to not enter any synagogue.

She told the defendant: "I'm going to grant you bail so that you can be released today. If you breach these bail conditions you will be arrested by the police."

He was flanked by two security officers, while two family members - including his mother - sat in seats in front of the dock.

The boy is due to appear at Willesden Youth Court on 4 June.

A 19-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy were arrested at separate addresses late on Sunday 19 April.

Both were arrested on suspicion of arson reckless as to whether life was endangered and were taken to a London police station.

The 19-year-old man has been bailed pending further enquiries.

Two further suspects are "outstanding" in the investigation, the court heard.

A number of Jewish sites have been targeted in separate incidents across ​London in recent weeks.

The Met Police have been investigating alleged attacks at the former site of a Jewish charity in Hendon on Friday, and a synagogue in Finchley on Wednesday.

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Both those incidents are near Golders Green, where four Jewish community ambulances operated by volunteer-led service Hatzola were torched in an alleged arson attack last month.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, a security incident was triggered near the Israeli embassy in central London after jars of powder, later identified as harmless, were discovered in a park.

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