BREAKING Golders Green terror suspect named Essa Suleiman who has ‘historical past of violence’
This is a breaking news story and is being constantly updated by our reporters as the breaking news story develops
The first image of the Golders Green suspect
A man accused of stabbing two Jewish people in Golders Green in an antisemitic rampage has been named as Essa Suleiman.
Suleiman, 45, is a Somali-born British national with a history of violence and mental health problems, police have said. He was referred to Prevent in 2020, but the case was closed later that year. He is also believed to have previously worked as a security guard at a school.
Patrols across the UK have been stepped by police as they respond to the attack which saw two Jewish men – Shloime Rand, 34, and 76-year-old Moshe Ben Baila, named locally as Moshe Shine – taken to hospital after being stabbed on Golders Green Road on Wednesday morning.
It comes following a series of attacks on the Jewish community in recent weeks with the government being accused of not doing enough to stem the hatred.
Iranian-linked terrorist group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya (HAYI) said they were responsible for Wednesday’s attack but intelligence sources suggested this was “opportunistic” as the group provided no evidence it was behind the stabbings.
Disturbing footage captured the suspected knifeman allegedly launched an attack on an elderly man at a bus stop before pursuing another victim along a street in what has been described declared a terrorist incident.
Two Jewish men – one in his 70s and another in his 30s – were taken to hospital following the assaults in Golders Green, where they remain in stable condition. The suspect, a 45-year-old man, allegedly attempted to stab police officers before being subdued with a Taser and arrested.
Video shows the suspected attacker charging at a man waiting at a bus stop and allegedly repeatedly stabbing him, before two bystanders rush in to intervene.
Additional footage appears to show a figure crouching as he follows a man dressed in ultra-Orthodox clothing near a synagogue. He then turns and attacks another Jewish man approaching from the opposite direction, with audio suggesting he shouted “Allahu Akbar”. Counter-terrorism police have now declared the incident as a terrorist act.
In later scenes, the suspect is shown confronting two police officers. One officer deploys a Taser, after which the suspect is kicked in the head as he continues to resist.
This is a breaking news story and is being constantly updated. Please refresh the page regularly with the latest news, pictures and videos.
You can also get email updates on the day’s biggest stories straight to your inbox by signing up for our newsletters.
Get all the very best headlines, pictures, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you by following Daily Star every time you see our name.
Follow Daily Star on Android – CLICK HERE
Follow Daily Star on Apple – CLICK HERE
Follow Daily Star on Snapchat – CLICK HERE
You can also sign up for Twitter alerts for breaking news by following @starbreaksnews and follow us @dailystar for all the latest updates.
Keep up-to-date with your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day by following us on Facebook at facebook.com/thedailystar.
