LONDON: 45-year-old Essa Suleiman appeared at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court charged with three counts of the attempted murder, following Wednesday’s stabbing attacks in London.

He is accused of stabbing two Jewish men in north London. In a separate incident earlier on the same day, the Somali-born UK national visited a man’s home in south London and allegedly tried to stab him.

The Golders Green stabbing, which unfolded in broad daylight, was promptly declared a “terrorist incident”, with Counter Terrorism Policing leading the ongoing investigation.

In its wake, government officials raised the national terrorism threat to its second-highest level, meaning a terrorist attack is highly likely within the next six months.

Critics have jumped on incident in bid to justify curbs on Palestinian protests

Suleiman, flanked by two security guards, appeared in the dock wearing a grey tracksuit, often stroking his goatee beard, and was remanded in custody until his next appearance at London’s Old Bailey court on May 15.

Speaking only to confirm his name and date of birth, he gave no indication of any pleas to the charges, and the court was told by the prosecution his address was a mental health facility in south London.

The incident has taken on a political dimension, and the UK PM is under growing pressure to place fresh curbs on pro-Palestinian protests.

“Attempts by some to connect the series of horrific antisemitic attacks in north London with marches in solidarity with Palestine are false,” the Stop the War Coalition said on X. A large London march is planned for May 16 to mark Nakba Day, commemorating the 1948 displacement.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2026