New hearing scheduled after Abdullah Qureshi resists CPS’s reinstatement of racially/religiously aggravated element of the assault charges
Abdullah Qureshi, who last month pleaded guilty to numerous assault charges, has today resisted the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) reinstatement of the racially/religiously aggravated element of those charges.
On 7th April, Abdullah Qureshi, 28, from Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty at Thames Magistrates’ Court to one count of assault by beating and one count of grievous bodily harm with intent. The charges related to a series of assaults on 18th August 2021 in Stamford Hill in which five religious Jews in the North London neighbourhood were violently attacked.
Campaign Against Antisemitism revealed last month that the CPS had dropped the racially/religiously aggravated element of those charges as part of a plea deal with Mr Qureshi. After we, Shomrim, CST and other communal organisations made representations to the CPS, it agreed to reinstate the aggravated elements, and Mr Qureshi appeared in court today to face those reinstated charges.
Explaining the reinstatement at court today, the prosecutor said that these are “serious allegations” and that “the file was reviewed again and a decision was made to proceed with the offences.” However, counsel for Mr Qureshi argued that this submission should not be accepted, describing it as “ridiculous” and an “abuse of process”.
The CPS has been instructed to provide its reasons in writing, with an opportunity for the defence to respond in writing, followed by a hearing in June.
Mr Qureshi has pleaded guilty to the assault charges, and is merely resisting the allegation that the assaults were religiously or racially motivated.
In one incident at 18:41 on the day of the attacks last August, an Orthodox Jewish man was struck in the face with what appeared to be a bottle. In another at 19:10, a child was slapped on the back of the head, and in yet another at 20:30, a 64-year-old victim was struck and left unconscious on the ground, suffering facial injuries and a broken ankle. Two further incidents were also alleged.
The incidents received significant media attention at the time, and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, condemned “this appalling attack,” adding: “Let me be clear, racist abuse and hate crime, including antisemitism, have absolutely no place in our city.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews almost four times more likely to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.