A Sudanese asylum seeker has been spared jail after threatening a Christian preacher with a knife and dragging him off a ladder.
Ahmed Mohammed, 35, attacked Daniel Ayettey as he addressed a crowd at Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park, London, in May last year.
The sermon sparked violence when Mr Mohammed reportedly asked Mr Ayettey, “What would you like to happen in my life?”, to which the speaker responded, “I would like to have the Lord in your life”.
Allegedly, this triggered Mr Mohammed, who “very quickly” became aggressive and began to threaten Mr Ayettey, saying, “I’m going to stab you”.
This is not the Sudanese national’s first offence since arriving in the UK in 2012, as he has 29 previous convictions for 67 offences under his name.
Mr Mohammed tried to force Mr Ayettey off his ladder before brandishing a knife.
Whilst a number of witnesses apparently tried to convince Mr Ayettey not to call the police, Mr Mohammed was apprehended, but refused to be interviewed.
The Sudanese national, who had applied to the Home Office for indefinite leave to remain in the UK, was convicted for threatening a person with an offensive weapon in public.
Despite brandishing a knife, Mr Mohammed has dodged jail time
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METROPOLITAN POLICE
Judge Martin Griffith said to Mr Mohammed as he was being sentenced: “You’ve got a shocking record of convictions.”
Nicholas Mesure, prosecution, told the court: “That seemed to be the catalyst as it very quickly changed Mr Mohammed’s demeanour and he became very angry.
“There were a number of people, including Muslims, who were aware of Mr Mohammed and they tried to persuade Mr Ayettey not to call the police.”
Despite Mr Mohammed being sentenced to 22 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, Judge Griffith accepted he had already spent eight months in custody since his arrest and had agreed to undergo alcohol treatment.
Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park has been a real-life representation of freedom of speech since the 19th century
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GETTY
The judge said: “I hope the suspended sentence could be a sign for you that you should not be back with your friends in Westminster doing nothing and drinking and stealing from shops.”
Mr Mohammed confessed to three separate counts of theft from Sainsbury’s in Marble Arch in central London on May 3, 2025, just weeks before the Hyde Park attack.
The judge continued by saying if Mr Mohammed reoffends, he will send him “back to prison”.
As part of the sentence, he must attend 30 days rehabilitation activities and six months of alcohol treatment in Brent.
He has also been excluded from Westminster and banned from consuming alcohol and drugs.
Judge Griffith would not impose any fines on Mr Mohammed as he had “no money”, but allowed him to smoke cigarettes.
He is due to return to court in two months’ time to review his progress.
The judge said: “When I see you in two months’ time, I expect probation to say how well you are doing.
“I will see you on April 10 with a glowing report.”
There are various speakers’ corners across the world, however, the original and most famous is in the north east corner of Hyde Park, where Mr Ayettey was attacked.
Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park has been the epitome of public speaking and freedom of speech since the 19th century.
Historical figures such as Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin and George Orwell have known to address the public at the famous site.