Man jailed for 16 months after antisemitic attack on Orthodox Jew in Slough
Video footage of Shafiq Rahman hurling abuse in April caused widespread concern, with police arresting him a day later
A man who racially abused an Orthodox Jew in April, accusing him of “killing babies” and threatening to break his jaw, has been sentenced to 16 months in prison, with a local police commander describing the incident as “a shocking and targeted antisemitic attack”.
Shafiq Rahman, 48, of Lismore Park in Slough, was sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Friday. Footage of the incident, which took place on 20 April, saw Rahman, who was on a bicycle, approaching a Jewish man working in Slough and verbally abusing him. Video footage of the incident showed Rahman calling the victim a “dirty Jew”, accusing him of “killing babies in Palestine” and threatening to “break his jaw”, was shown in court.
Rahman was arrested by police the following day, and subsequently pleaded guilty to one count of racially/religiously aggravated common assault, one count of racially/religiously aggravated fear/provocation of violence by words, and one count of criminal damage. He was also charged, in relation to a separate incident, with being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury, in which serious injuries were caused to a man in Thatcham.
In court in April, District Judge Devinder Sandhu described the attack as a “pure hate crime”, describing herself as “appalled and startled by what I saw on that footage, a completely unprovoked attack on a man who was simply doing his job.”
Part of the victim’s statement to the police was read out in court, in which he said that he felt “physically targeted due to my religion” and talked about how “this incident has changed my perspective on what it is to be a Jew openly in public.”
Speaking in the wake of the conviction, the police commander for Berkshire East, Chief Superintendent Stuart Bosley, said: “This was a shocking and targeted antisemitic attack on a man simply going about his work. We understand that crimes of this nature cause distress and fear, having a profound impact not only on the victim, but on the wider community. Everyone should feel safe to go about their lives without fear of harassment or abuse, and I sincerely hope that this case emphasises how seriously Thames Valley Police take antisemitic hate crime.
“I want to be absolutely clear that there is no place for antisemitism in Slough or in wider society. We remain committed to tackling hate crime, supporting victims and working with our communities to ensure they are safe and protected.”
Detective Inspector Terry Dixon, of Berkshire East’s Priority Crime Team, who led the investigation, said: “Thanks to the dedicated, swift work of our detectives, and the support of our communities, Rahman was arrested, charged, and before the courts within a matter of days following this crime. We are extremely grateful for the support of community partners and the wider public for their support – the information they provided directly resulted in the swift apprehension of Rahman.
“Rahman was deliberately obstructive when interviewed by police, but had no choice but to plead guilty in court due to the weight of evidence against him.”
A spokesperson for the Community Security Trust said: “Nobody should be subjected to racist abuse, threats and intimidation simply because they are Jewish. We are grateful for the swift action of Thames Valley Police in identifying and arresting the offender, and the CPS for securing a conviction. This prosecution and sentencing send a clear message that antisemitism will not be tolerated and that there should always be a consequence for this kind of appalling anti-Jewish hatred. We will continue to work closely with police and community partners to support victims and tackle antisemitism in all its forms.”
A spokesperson for Shomrim said: “This was a deeply disturbing antisemitic attack on a member of the Jewish community who was simply going about his daily work.
“We welcome the swift and professional response from Thames Valley Police, which demonstrates that hate crime will not be tolerated and that offenders will be brought to justice.
“We also thank the members of the public who came forward with information, whose support was instrumental in identifying the offender.
“Shomrim remains committed to working closely with the police and partner agencies to encourage reporting, support victims, and help ensure that Jewish communities can live and work safely without fear of intimidation or abuse.”
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