Golders Green Knifeman Denies Attempted Murder Charges
Prosecution states attack is no longer considered terrorism as defendant pleads not guilty to all charges.
The man accused of stabbing two Jewish men in Golders Green has denied attempted murder. Essa Suleiman, 45, faces three counts of attempted murder and one count of possessing a black-handled knife.
Suleiman, who is currently at Broadmoor secure psychiatric hospital, appeared at the Old Bailey via video link and entered not guilty pleas to all charges. The prosecution informed the court that, after reviewing the evidence, they no longer consider the incident to be a terrorist attack, although they noted the possibility of racial or religious aggravation if a conviction occurs.
The defendant is accused of attacking his friend Ishmael Hussein at his home in Southwark before traveling to north London on April 29 of this year. There, he allegedly attacked Shloime Rand, 34, as Rand was leaving a synagogue study session and Moshe Shine, 76, while Shine was adjusting his kippah at a bus stop. Both Rand and Shine were wearing traditional Jewish attire at the time of the attacks. Rand sustained a punctured lung, and Shine was stabbed in the neck; neither injury was deemed life-threatening but were described as serious.
The court heard that the incident in Golders Green concluded when a member of the public attempted to disarm Suleiman. Police then arrived and Tasered the suspect. Suleiman, who became a British citizen in 1995 after arriving from Somalia as a child, was living in supported accommodation for individuals released from a secure psychiatric hospital.
His previous employments include roles as a Somali translator, a security guard, and at sports facilities at a school in Wiltshire. The case has been adjourned for psychiatric reports, with a three-week trial scheduled to commence on March 1, 2027.