Why was he free to roam the streets with a knife? Somali-born Golders Green suspect was once jailed ‘indefinitely’ for stabbing police officer and referred to anti-terror scheme

A Golders Green terror suspect was previously jailed for stabbing a police officer and his dog, it has been revealed.

Essa Suleiman, 45, was arrested after two men were stabbed in broad daylight in the Jewish district on Wednesday.

It has now been revealed that the Somali-born British citizen was jailed indefinitely for a knife attack on a police officer in 2008.

Following his release, the former security guard and translator was referred to Britain’s anti-radicalisation scheme Prevent in 2020 as a potential risk to the public.

However, his case was closed within months after it was determined that he did not pose a risk of committing a terrorist attack.

Authorities now face questions about why the suspect was released to roam the streets.

On Thursday night, detectives were still questioning Suleiman, who is accused of attempting to kill 34-year-old Shloime Rand and 76-year-old Moshe Shine.

In an unprecedented intervention, Britain’s top police officer described the suspect as a “dangerous man” within hours of his arrest after revealing he had a history of “serious violence and mental health problems”.

But it can now be revealed that Suleiman was jailed indefinitely for a knife attack on a police officer in 2008.

The Somali-born British national was accused of stabbing PC Neil Sampson and his German Shepherd Anya (both pictured) in 2008.

Scotland Yard Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley praised his officers for catching the suspect, saying ‘arresting violent and dangerous criminals is a complex task that may seem shocking to observers with little experience of real-world policing’.

He spoke as security chiefs raised the terror threat level in the UK from ‘substantial’ to ‘serious’; This means an attack is ‘highly likely’ within the next six months.

The Home Secretary announced the decision following a series of attacks on the Jewish community in recent weeks, culminating in a double stabbing.

The threat level has not been raised since the Liverpool Women’s Hospital bombing in November 2021, when a failed asylum seeker detonated an improvised explosive device, killing himself and wounding a taxi driver.

Other developments on Thursday:

• As the Prime Minister finally visited Golders Green to meet the emergency services responding to the attack, he was met with chants of ‘Keir Starmer: Jewish harm’ from protesters;

• Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood has hinted that pro-Palestinian marches will be banned after admitting they could incite hatred. But the Daily Mail has discovered that the government blocked such a ban proposal just last month;

• Met Chief Sir Mark has issued an unprecedented rebuke to Greens leader Zack Polanski, claiming officers who arrested the knife-wielding man were rude;

• Hundreds of Jewish supporters gathered outside Downing Street to demand Sir Keir take action to protect the community.

Suleiman came to the UK legally from Somalia as a teenager before being granted citizenship. He found work as a Somali translator for the Metropolitan Police and then as a school security guard, before being implicated in a brutal attack on a police officer in January 2008.

Dog walker Neil Sampson was responding to reports of a knife attack on a tenant at a property in Swindon, when Suleiman, 27, stabbed him.

Police dog Anya, who was stabbed in the stomach after struggling with the knife-wielding man, saved his life. For her bravery, Anya was awarded the PDSA Gold Medal, the animal equivalent of the George Cross.

After Süleyman confessed to the attacks, he was initially detained on a temporary hospital order for psychiatric testing.

In sentencing, Mr Sampson told the judge Suleiman ‘should never be in a position to harm any member of the public or another police officer again’. Wiltshire Police Deputy Chief Constable Andy Marsh described Suleiman as a ‘very dangerous man’.

Sir Keir Starmer was heckled when he arrived in Golders Green with a convoy of cars on Thursday.

Questions have arisen as to why Suleiman was released to roam the streets, as he was called to prevent

On Thursday, the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said the suspect had recently been in trouble with police.

The campaign group claimed Suleiman went to memorial services for Israeli hostages captured by Hamas and verbally abused Jews there.

A CAA spokesman said: ‘This information raises serious new questions about the terrorist incident. These questions deserve urgent answers.’

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: ‘This man is clearly a danger to the Jewish community in the UK. He shouldn’t have walked the streets. We are importing antisemitism and extremism from around the world and this needs to end.

‘People like this should be deported if they are not British citizens, and stripped of their rights if they have acquired British citizenship, if they are dual citizens or if they qualify as citizens of another country.’

The Prevent program has been criticized after repeated failures to stop terrorists and mass murderers, including Southport killer Axel Rudakubana, David Amess killer Ali Harbi Ali, Reading attacker Khairi Saadallah, Parsons Green bomber Ahmed Hassan, Fishmongers Hall killer Usman Khan and Sudesh Amman, who stabbed two people in Streatham.

Police believe Suleiman tried to break into a property in the Borough, south-east London, armed with a knife, at 8.50am on Wednesday.

Officers were called to a report of a fight, but when they arrived six minutes later the suspect had left.