Essa Suleiman, 45, appeared in court on Friday charged with two counts of attempted murder for stabbing two Jewish men in Golders Green, north London, on Wednesday. He was also charged with attempting to murder a man he had known for around 20 years, Ishmail Hussein, at his home in Southwark in the hours before the Golders Green attacks.
The court heard that Suleiman, a British national born in Somalia, had been living in supported mental health accommodation at the time of the alleged offences. He was remanded in custody and showed no emotion during the hearing.
One of the victims, Shloime Rand, 34, a father of six, has been discharged from hospital after being stabbed in the chest. He told the Mirror that doctors said if the wound had been two centimetres closer to his heart, he could have died. He described his survival as a miracle.
In response to the attack, Surrey Cricket announced increased security at the Kia Oval for its upcoming match against Sussex, including additional bag searches and security presence.
The Stop the War Coalition issued a statement rejecting any link between pro-Palestinian marches and antisemitic attacks, saying their protests are against the treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and are supported by many Jewish people. They confirmed a planned march in London on 16 May.
