A man has been sentenced for carrying out a series of attacks on members of the Jewish community in Hackney following an investigation by the Met.
Abdullah Qureshi, 30 (11.10.92), of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire was handed a hospital order at Wood Green Court on Thursday 17 August, after being convicted of the attacks in November 2022. He will be detained in a secure medical facility until he is considered safe to be released.
He was also given a ten-year restraining order.
Detective Chief Inspector Yasmin Lalani, from the local policing team, said: “The Met will not tolerate any form of discrimination or abuse. London is an incredible and diverse city and it is completely unacceptable for certain sections of our communities to be subjected to deplorable abuse and harassment.
“Abdullah Qureshi’s action caused severe distress to the victims, their families and the wider Jewish community. I can only hope the victims in this case find some comfort in the fact that Qureshi has been sentenced after the ordeals they suffered.”
An investigation was launched by detectives in Hackney, after three people were assaulted within a two-hour period in the Stamford Hill area on the evening of 18 August 2021.
Qureshi was convicted at Stratford Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 11 November 2022.
DCI Lalani added: “I would like to thank Shomrim, the Community Security Trust, Hackney Independent Advisory Group and Varinder Hayre of the Crown Prosecution Service for their support throughout our investigation. Together we have achieved justice for the victims. Our message is clear – we will not tolerate hate crime. Do not come to Stamford Hill to commit offences against our community – we will hold you to account.”
On the evening of 18 August 2021, police received three reports of people being assaulted in the Stamford Hill area:
– At 18:41hrs on 18 August 2021 a 30-year-old man was struck on the head with a bottle on Cazenove Road. He did not sustain any injuries.
– At 19:10hrs, a 14-year-old boy was walking on Holmdale Terrace when he was approached and assaulted without warning. He sustained minor injuries.
– At approximately 20:30hrs on Stamford Hill, at the junction with Colberg Road, a 64-year-old man was struck in the face. He suffered facial injuries and fell to the ground, breaking a bone in his foot. He was taken to hospital for treatment and was later discharged.
If you experience hate abuse of any kind, we would urge you to report it. Officers are ready to investigate offences and support anyone who has been affected by someone else’s prejudice, ignorance or violence. Crimes of this nature will not be tolerated.
To report a hate crime, call police on 101, report online or tweet @MetCC. If there is an immediate risk or an emergency situation, always call 999.
+ Qureshi was found guilty of one count of racially or religiously aggravated grievous bodily harm and two counts of racially or religiously aggravated common assault.
