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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Daniel Keane

Man given hospital order for series of attacks on Jewish community in Hackney

A man has been sentenced over a series of attacks on members of the Jewish community in Hackney.

Abdullah Qureshi, 30, was handed a hospital order on Thursday after being convicted of the attacks last November.

He will be detained in a secure medical facility until he is considered safe to be released.

Detectives launched an investigation after three people were assaulted within a two-hour period in the Stamford Hill area on the evening of August 18, 2021.

At 6.41pm, a 30-year-old man was struck on the head with a bottle on Cazenove Road. He did not sustain any injuries.

Around half an hour later, a 14-year-old boy was approached and assaulted while walking on Holmdale Terrace. He sustained minor injuries.

At 8.30pm, a 64-year-old man was struck in the face at the junction of Colberg Road. He suffered facial injuries and fell to the ground, breaking a bone in his foot.

The victim was taken to hospital for treatment and was later discharged.

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 at Wood Green Court on Thursday.

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.”

He 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.”

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