Golders Green: Terror attack suspect Essa Suleiman was living in home for people who leave secure hospital

The Golders Green terror attack suspect was living in supported housing for people leaving a secure hospital before he was stabbed, it has been revealed.

Essa Suleiman, 45, appeared in court on Friday accused of attempting to murder his own friend before trying to kill two Jewish men on a north-west London street on Wednesday.

He arrived in the dock with bloodshot eyes and visible bruising on his face as he was taken into custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. The Somali-born British national was wearing a gray prison tracksuit and spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth during the brief hearing.

The court heard the defendant was staying at an address in south-east London that provides supported accommodation for people leaving a secure hospital. The area is covered by the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, which confirmed he was under the care of mental health services earlier this week.

Explaining the outlines of the case, the prosecutor’s office said that Süleyman came to the house of İsmail Hüseyin, whom he had known for a while, in Southwark around 7.50 am on Wednesday.

The prosecution claimed that the defendant tried to stab him when he opened the door.

Prosecutor Emma Harraway told the court Mr Hussein had suffered minor injuries and called the police.

The prosecution alleges that the defendant then took public transport to Brent Cross underground.

He encountered Shloime Rand, 34, as she was leaving a synagogue on Highfield Avenue at 11:16 a.m. Running towards the synagogue, Mr Rand noticed blood coming from his chest following an argument. Prosecutor Miss Harraway told the court the man suffered a punctured lung and has since been discharged from hospital.

Prosecutors said Norman Shine, 76, was waiting at a bus stop on Golders Green Road at the time of the attack.

“During the attack Mr Shine was stabbed in the neck,” Ms Harraway said. It was learned that the injured person’s condition was not life-threatening and he was being treated at the hospital.

The court heard Suleiman later suffered a medical crisis in the street after officers tasered him several times and detained him. He was treated in hospital and discharged some hours later.

The incident was declared a terrorist attack by the Counter Terrorism Police, who conducted the investigation. The country’s terrorism threat level has since been raised to serious, meaning a terrorist attack is “highly likely”.

Süleyman is charged with three counts of attempted murder and one count of possessing a sharp object in a public place.

He stood with his hands on his hips and moved his hands behind his back as he was taken into custody for a further hearing at the Old Bailey on May 15.

Addressing the defendant, chief magistrate Paul Goldspring said: “You will be remanded in custody until 15 May, when you appear before the Central Criminal Court.”

Announcing the charges on Friday morning, Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of London Counter Terrorism Police, said: “Our thoughts are with the victims involved and specialist officers continue to provide support to them as they continue to recover.

“We are committed to achieving justice for the victims, and now that one person has been charged, I urge everyone to avoid further speculation regarding this case so that justice can take its course.”

Suleiman was born in Somalia and came to the UK legally as a child in the 1990s and was reported to the government’s counter-extremism program Prevent in 2020, but the case was closed the same year.

One of the injured was discharged from the hospital and is currently receiving treatment at home. Mr Rand told the BBC it was a “miracle” that he survived, adding: “I feel like God has given me my life back.” Mr Shine remains in hospital and remains in a stable condition.

Pro-Palestinian marches across the country will be assessed after the terror threat level in the UK was raised to “serious” by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Center on Thursday, the Metropolitan Police said.

The Home Office said the decision was not solely a result of the Golders Green attack, adding that the threat level in the UK had “increased for some time”.