Trial adjourned for man accused of burglary and theft at home of Labour peer
Sarbast Lokman, 34, faces burglary, theft, and attempted burglary charges after allegedly going to Luciana Berger’s London property twice in two days in April
The trial of a man accused of attempting to burgle the home of Labour peer Luciana Berger and stealing family possessions from a car has been adjourned.
Sarbast Lokman, 34, faces burglary, theft, and attempted burglary charges after allegedly going to the politician’s London property twice in two days in April.
It is said he tried to get into the home by the back door on April 11 and, upon finding it locked, he allegedly stole items which had been left in the back garden.
The following day, Lokman is said to have returned to the property and allegedly managed to get into a car outside Baroness Berger’s home, before stealing items valued at £350.
It is said he took a pair of Marc Jacobs sunglasses, two pairs of children’s wellington boots and one adult pair, a first aid kit, an emergency blanket, a green picnic blanket, and tracksuit bottoms and a T-shirt belonging to a child.
Lokman is also accused of stealing a gift-wrapped Neom candle, a bottle of car fluid, and some loose change from the car.
Baroness Berger told the City of London Magistrates’ Court she felt “targeted” after the incidents due to her high profile standing in the Jewish community and profile as a peer and former MP.
The politician, 45, was the MP for Liverpool Wavertree between 2010 and 2019, and held shadow ministerial roles for climate change, public health, and mental health under the leaderships of Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn.
But she quit the Labour Party in February 2019 in protest at Corbyn’s leadership, and denounced the party as “institutionally antisemitic”.
In February 2023, she returned to Labour under Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership and, in December 2024, it was announced she would enter the House of Lords as a life peer, with the title Baroness Berger, of Barnhill in the London Borough of Brent.
Lokman, who faces an additional allegation of attempting to burgle a home in Enfield, north London, in March, was due to stand trial on Thursday, having previously denied all the charges.
But his case had to be adjourned until July 6 when it was discovered that a Kurdish interpreter had not been booked for the trial, and efforts by court staff to scour London for an available interpreter to come to court at the last minute failed.
District Judge Annabel Pilling conveyed the news of the adjournment to Lokman by typing out an apology and explanation on her tablet, running the message through Google Translate, and showing him the screen.
Lokman, who told the court he is currently homeless but previously had an address in North Finchley, north London, denies burglary, two charges of attempted burglary, and theft from a motor vehicle.
He has been remanded in custody to await his trial since the first court appearance in May.
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