A man has pleaded guilty to a petrol-bomb attack on an Islamic centre in Maida Vale, after throwing incendiary devices into the grounds in the early hours of the morning.
Iman Zand, 47, of Green Lane, Edgware, appeared at Wood Green Crown Court on Friday 13 November, where he pleaded guilty to possession of an explosive with intent to injure property. At an earlier hearing on Wednesday 11 November, he pleaded guilty to causing an explosion likely to endanger life or injure property.
The attack happened at around 00:10 on Tuesday 3 February, when police were called to the Islamic Centre of England in Maida Vale after a security guard reported that incendiary devices had been thrown into the premises.
Officers arrived within minutes and established that a suspect had approached the premises, lighting one and throwing two bottles containing accelerant over the site wall, before fleeing the scene in a car. The attack caused fire damage to a cabin within the grounds of the centre. Fortunately, the main building was not damaged, and nobody was injured.
Police believe the attack was targeted rather than random. The centre had previously been the scene of anti-Iranian regime protests, and officers suspect Zand — a British national born in Iran — targeted the site as he believed it to be linked to the Iranian government.
The attack was treated as a hate crime from the outset. In the days that followed, neighbourhood officers carried out reassurance patrols and engaged with local residents and representatives from the Islamic Centre.
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Ridley, who led the investigation, said: “This was a premeditated and deeply disturbing attack which caused significant concern both within the local community and across the country. Zand is clearly a dangerous individual. Armed with petrol bombs, the defendant travelled to the place of worship under the cover of darkness and carried out a targeted attack that could easily have resulted in devastating loss of life.”
“I would like to pay tribute to officers on the ground who responded rapidly as well as to the Maida Vale community for their support and assistance throughout the investigation,” he added. “The outcome sends a powerful message that hatred and violence directed towards any community will not be tolerated, and that we remain committed to identifying those responsible for such offences, bringing them to justice and protecting all Londoners.”
Extensive CCTV enquiries enabled detectives to trace the movements of the suspect before and after the attack. Footage showed a man arriving in a car, approaching the gates of the centre and throwing the bottles, before making off. Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras in the area were checked by officers, and these linked the car to Zand.
Later that day, officers stopped the suspect near his home in Edgware and arrested him on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. Specialist forensic examinations were carried out at the scene, and the bottles used in the attack were recovered. At interview, Zand gave no comment. He was charged and remanded in custody.
Zand pleaded guilty to both charges — the explosion charge on 11 November and the possession charge on 13 November — meaning there will be no trial. At court, he accepted responsibility for the attack, but claimed he was experiencing mental health difficulties at the time.
He is due to be sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court at a later date. No date has been given.
The conviction is the latest in a series of high-profile cases to reach the courts this week. Two men were convicted of spying for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, and a London rabbi was convicted of sexual assault earlier this week.
