London Man Charged With Attempted Murder After Golders Green Stabbing Attacks

Essa Suleiman, 45, has appeared in court in London charged with multiple counts of attempted murder after two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green and another man was attacked in Southwark on the same day. The victims suffered serious injuries, and police declared the Golders Green incident a terrorist-related attack. Suleiman did not enter pleas and remains in custody ahead of a hearing at the Old Bailey.

A man has appeared in court charged with multiple counts of attempted murder following a series of knife attacks in London that left two Jewish men seriously injured and prompted a terrorism investigation.
The accused, Essa Suleiman, aged 45, is alleged to have carried out a violent attack on Wednesday in Golders Green, north London, where two victims, Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76, were stabbed. Both men sustained serious injuries and were taken to hospital for emergency treatment. Authorities later confirmed that the Metropolitan Police Service treated the incident as a terrorist-related attack due to its circumstances and potential motivation.
Suleiman is also accused of attempting to murder another man, Ishmail Hussein, during a separate knife attack earlier the same day in Southwark, south London. Prosecutors told the court that Hussein and Suleiman were personally known to each other for around 20 years, suggesting a long-standing relationship prior to the incident.
In addition to the two attempted murder charges, Suleiman faces a further charge of possession of a knife in a public place in connection with the Golders Green attack.
At his court appearance on Friday, Suleiman stood in the dock wearing a grey police-issued sweatshirt and trousers. He appeared visibly bruised around the eyes. He confirmed his identity and date of birth but did not enter any pleas to the charges against him.
The court heard that Suleiman experienced a medical episode at the time of his arrest and was taken to hospital for treatment. He was later discharged and transferred to Hammersmith custody suite, where he has remained in custody.
Due to legal restrictions, details of the Southwark address where one of the attacks occurred were not disclosed in court. It was described as supported accommodation for individuals receiving mental health care.
Prosecutor Emma Harraway informed the court that Suleiman had previously been a patient under the care of the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. She also outlined the sequence of events leading to his arrest and hospital treatment before he was returned to police custody.
There was also some update on the victims’ condition, with one of those injured in Golders Green, Shloime Rand, having since been discharged from hospital after treatment.
Suleiman’s background was also outlined in court. Officials said he was born in Somalia but arrived in the United Kingdom legally as a child in the early 1990s. He is now a British citizen.
The case has been sent to the Old Bailey, one of the UK’s most senior criminal courts, where Suleiman is due to appear again on 15 May for a preliminary hearing.
Following the attacks, UK authorities announced that the national terrorism threat level had been raised to “severe,” meaning an attack is highly likely. However, officials clarified that the change had been under consideration for some time and was not solely a response to this specific incident.