Man ‘travelled from Yorkshire to attack Jews in Stamford Hill’, court hears
Abdullah Qureshi, 29 denied one count of religiously aggravated wounding or GBH and two counts of religiously aggravated common assault
A man deliberately travelled 180 miles from Yorkshire to north London to attack two Jewish men and a boy on their way to a synagogue, a court has heard.
Abdullah Qureshi, 29, from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, is accused of attacking the victims as they walked in traditional religious clothing through Stamford Hill.
One of his alleged victims claims he had been on the phone when Qureshi hit him over the head with a bottle after being targeted “because he was Jewish.”
Qureshi, who is Muslim, represented himself at Thames Magistrates Court, and admitted to attacking the two adult victims.
He denied any religious motivations after being accused of travelling to the area to “deliberately” target “members of the Jewish community.”
The religiously aggravated element of the charges had previously been dropped by prosecutors but was then re-instated following an outcry from communal organisations.
The alleged attacker also went on to slap a young boy who was on his way to the Jewish School wearing a Jewish coat.
His third alleged victim, Jacob Lipschitz said he was punched into a wall and knocked out on the way to a synagogue, the court heard.
Lipscitz said that he could “not function normally” after he was punched in the face by Qureshi.
Varinder Hayre, prosecuting, told the court: “The prosecution case is that on August 18, 2021, Mr Qureshi travelled all the way from Dewsbury in West Yorkshire and purposely went to Stamford Hill because it is especially associated with the Jewish community.
“He went there deliberately and targeted members of the Jewish community- and carried out deliberate, unprovoked, religiously aggravated assaults on the three victims, who were wearing traditional clothing.
“He planned to be in that area and directed his aggression on those who were noticeable members of the Jewish community.
“Other people who were not wearing such clothing were not targeted.”
The Yorkshireman denied one count of religiously aggravated wounding or grievous bodily harm and two counts of religiously aggravated common assault when he appeared in the dock at Thames Magistrates Court in east London.
At an earlier hearing, he had admitted to attacking the two adult victims but denied any religious motivations – he also has never admitted attacking the boy.
Qureshi will next appear at Stratford Magistrates Court for a full trial in November.
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