Ian Pitkin jailed for life after Newick Road Hackney fire

Ian Pitkin, of Newick Road, Lower Clapton, has been jailed after starting a blaze at his ground-floor flat on March 20 this year, at 12.45pm.

Emergency services were called and the 64-year-old was arrested shortly after, while seeking medical attention for his own injuries during the fire.

While the flat was on fire, neighbours tried to escape the building – several of whom were forced to jump from their windows.

The damaged Newick Road flats (Image: Met Police)

In one instance, a baby was thrown down while relatives were waiting below.

In total five people were injured, including one person who passed by.

One person had a fractured hip after trying to jump from a window.

Officers tracked down Pitkin’s car and found a number of jerry cans filled with petrol, as well as four air weapons, three knives and two hammers.

Jerry cans retrieved at the car (Image: Met Police)

Police were able to gather evidence which proved the fire was pre-planned, and the jerry cans were purchased in a week before the incident.

Det Ch Supt 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.”

He believed the arson was planned after a housing dispute and Pitkin had a “clear intention to harm others, beyond those injured in the fire”.

Police said evidence showed he expressed clear antisemitic sentiment on several occasions and the Crown Prosecution Service invited the court to treat racial and religious hostility as an aggravating factors.

Ian Pitkin has been jailed (Image: Met Police)

Pitkin pleaded guilty 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.

Referring to the arson offence, HHJ Fugallo said: "This offence was motivated by, and demonstrates a, hostility towards people of Jewish faith."

Pitkin appeared at Wood Green Crown Court last Friday (September 6) and was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of six years and 17 days.

Det Ch Supt Conway said: “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.”