Golders Green suspect, 45, denies attempting to murder two Jewish men as terrorism charge is dropped

From the Newshound archive · first published 25 September 2026 · last updated 26 September 2026.

Essa Suleiman, 45, pleaded not guilty at the Old Bailey on Friday to three counts of attempted murder over an April knife rampage in north London. The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed it will not pursue a terrorism connection, despite police originally treating the attack as suspected terrorism. Prosecutors said the stabbings of Shloime Rand, 34, and Norman Shine, 76, will instead be treated as hate crimes, which judges are expected to consider as an aggravating factor at sentencing. A trial is scheduled to begin at the Old Bailey on 1 March 2027.

Suleiman is accused of stabbing Rand once in the chest outside a synagogue and inflicting multiple wounds on Shine, 76, before a bystander stepped in and took the weapon from him.

Earlier the same day, Suleiman allegedly attacked his friend of 20 years, Ishmail Hussein, at his Southwark home before travelling by public transport to Golders Green.

Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC told the court both Jewish victims were 'obviously members of the orthodox Jewish community by the way they were dressed at the time.'