A man has pleaded not guilty to three charges of attempted murder over a knife attack during which two Jewish men were stabbed in north London.
Essa Suleiman, a British national who was born in Somalia, appeared at the Old Bailey and pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempted murder in Golders Green on April 29.
The 45-year-old also pleaded not guilty to a third count relating to an unconnected incident earlier the same day.
The stabbings followed a spate of incidents targeting Jewish premises in the same area of north London, home to a large Jewish population.
Suleiman appeared at the Old Bailey via CVP link and pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
The defendant is due to stand trial at the Old Bailey from March 1, 2027.
The court previously heard that on the day of the incident, the defendant attended the home address of his friend Ishmail Hussein and attacked him with a knife.
He is accused of then making his way by public transport to the Golders Green area, where he allegedly set about attacking two people.
Essa Suleiman, 45, the alleged Golders Green attacker was emotionless as he appeared in court | PA
Deanna Heer KC told the earlier hearing that both victims were “obviously members of the orthodox Jewish community by the way they were dressed at the time”.
Shloime Rand, 34, had been studying at a synagogue in Highfield Avenue when he was allegedly attacked by the defendant who came towards him and stabbed him once to the chest.
Suleiman is then accused of attacking Norman Shine, 76, who was said to have sustained a number of stab wounds which caused him to be taken to hospital.
The court was told that the incident came to an end when another member of public intervened to try to disarm the defendant and take the knife from him.
