The Golders Green stabbing in which two Jewish men were attacked in April cannot be treated as an act of terrorism, prosecutors have concluded — closing a question that has hung over the north-west London community for months.
The Crown Prosecution Service set out its position at a court hearing on Friday, September 25, telling the court that the available evidence could not establish a terrorist connection in the knife rampage that left two men wounded on April 29, 2026.
Essa Suleiman, 45, is accused of targeting Shloime Rand, 34, and Norman Shrine, 76, shortly after 11am that morning. Both victims were taken to hospital, where their conditions were described as stable.
At the time, Counter Terrorism Policing described the incident as an antisemitic attack and said it was being investigated as suspected terrorism — a classification that shaped the early public response and heightened anxiety among local Jewish residents.
Terrorism threshold not met
Explaining the shift, the Metropolitan Police said the CPS had concluded there was no sufficient evidence to say the stabbings had a terrorist connection. The force added that prosecutors remained satisfied the defendant’s actions amounted to hate crimes, and that this would be presented as an aggravating factor for the court to consider at sentencing.
The legal distinction is a significant one. Terrorism cases in England and Wales are subject to distinct sentencing frameworks and, frequently, to tighter reporting restrictions. A hate-crime aggravation, by contrast, allows a judge to impose a longer sentence within the normal framework — the outcome prosecutors will now pursue.
Suleiman also faces two further charges. He has pleaded not guilty to a third count of attempted murder relating to an unconnected incident in which he is alleged to have attacked Ishmail Hussein at his home in Southwark. He has also pleaded not guilty to possessing a knife in a public place.
“Impact on the Jewish community recognised”
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing in London, said she fully recognised the impact the incident had had on the three victims as well as the public — “particularly the Jewish community, as it happened following a series of arson attacks at synagogues in the north west London area”.
She noted the timing was especially sensitive, coming shortly after the arrests of two men in Manchester over a suspected plot targeting the Jewish community during the High Holy Days period — a sequence of events that has left many Jewish Londoners feeling especially vulnerable.
“Counter Terrorism Policing continues to work closely with the Met Police to provide as much visibility and security as we can to Jewish communities across London,” she said.
Golders Green on edge
Golders Green is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the capital, and the April attack sent shockwaves through the area. Jewish residents have in recent years faced a series of antisemitic incidents, including the suspected antisemitic assault of three Jewish schoolboys on a Mill Hill bus.
Knife crime remains a broader concern across the capital. London has seen a string of serious stabbings this year, from the Cowley Recreation Ground stabbing in Uxbridge that saw an air ambulance scrambled to community responses such as a volunteer campaign rolling out bleed control kits across Waltham Forest.
What happens next
With the terrorism question now settled, the case will proceed through the ordinary criminal courts towards sentencing, where the CPS will invite the judge to treat the hate-crime element as an aggravating factor.
The end of the terrorism inquiry is unlikely to end public scrutiny. Community leaders are expected to press for reassurance about the protection of Jewish Londoners, while the families of the victims await the final outcome of the criminal proceedings.
Key facts: Golders Green stabbing
- What: Double stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green, north-west London
- When: April 29, 2026, just after 11am
- Victims: Shloime Rand, 34, and Norman Shrine, 76 — both hospitalised in a stable condition
- Suspect: Essa Suleiman, 45 — denies attempted murder charges and knife possession
- Latest: CPS concludes there is insufficient evidence of a terrorist connection; hate-crime aggravation to be sought at sentencing
- Also alleged: Unconnected attempted murder of Ishmail Hussein in Southwark
Timeline
- April 29, 2026: Two men stabbed in Golders Green; Counter Terrorism Policing treats it as suspected terrorism
- September 25, 2026: Hearing told the CPS found no sufficient evidence of a terrorist connection
- Next: Case proceeds to sentencing, with the hate-crime element presented as an aggravating factor
