Man charged with attempted murder in connection with Golders Green attack | UK news
Essa Suleiman has been charged with attempted murder after two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green, north-west London, the Metropolitan police said.
The 45-year-old man faces two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a sharp object in a public place.
Police were called to the area shortly after 11am on Wednesday following reports that two people had been stabbed.
Two Jewish men – 34-year-old Shloime Rand and 76-year-old Moshe Ben Baila, locally called Moshe Shine – were attacked on Highfield Avenue and taken to hospital.
The Met said Suleiman was due to appear at Westminster magistrates’ court on Friday.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of counter-terrorism policing in London, said: “Our thoughts are with the victims involved and specialist officers continue to provide support to them as they continue to recover. We are determined to achieve justice for the victims and now that a person has been charged I would urge everyone to avoid further speculation about this case so that justice can take its course.”
Rand was discharged and recovering at home after receiving stitches, while Shine remains hospitalized in stable condition, according to the Jewish Community Council.
Suleiman was born in Somalia and came to the UK legally as a child in the 1990s. In 2020, he reportedly joined Prevent, the government’s counter-extremism program; the case was closed later that year.
On Thursday, the UK’s terrorism threat level was raised to “severe” by the Joint Center for Terrorism Analysis, meaning an attack is considered highly likely.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that the decision was not based solely on the Golders Green attack and noted that the threat level in England “has been increasing for a while.”
The Metropolitan police said pro-Palestinian marches across the country would be evaluated in light of this change.
The Stop the War Coalition is planning a major demonstration in London on May 16 to mark Nakba Day, which commemorates the displacement of Palestinians during the founding of Israel in 1948.
