A man who threatened to “break the jaw” of an Orthodox Jew after accusing him of “killing babies in Palestine” has been jailed.
Shafiq Rahman, 48, of Lismore Park in Slough, appeared at Reading Crown Court on Friday where he was sentenced to 16 months in prison.
On April 20 a Jewish man wearing a kippah was carrying out work at a property on Elliman Avenue.
As Rahman cycled past, he noticed the victim and began shouting antisemitic abuse at him. He then approached the victim, made threats, and attempted to snatch his phone from his hands.
A video of the attack played in court showed Rahman calling the victim a “dirty Jew”, accusing him of “killing babies in Palestine” and threatening to “break your jaw”.
A couple of members of the public attempted to intervene before being verbally abused themselves.
The victim, Moshe, said he had been wearing a black kippah at the time of the incident.
"I was thinking two things," he said at the time. "Number one was survival.
"Number two, I was just berating myself: 'What were you thinking going out like this, in England, as a visible Jew?'"
Rahman was arrested on 23 April. He was charged the next day, and pleaded guilty to one count of racially/religiously aggravated common assault, one count of racially/religiously aggravated fear/provocation of violence by words, and one count of criminal damage.
In relation to the serious injuries caused to a man in Thatcham, Rahman was charged with being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury.
Commander for Berkshire East, Chief Superintendent Stuart Bosley, said: “This was a shocking and targeted antisemitic attack on a man simply going about his work. We understand that crimes of this nature cause distress and fear, having a profound impact not only on the victim, but on the wider community.
"Everyone should feel safe to go about their lives without fear of harassment or abuse, and I sincerely hope that this case emphasises how seriously Thames Valley Police take antisemitic hate crime.”
Detective Inspector Terry Dixon, of Berkshire East’s Priority Crime Team, who led the investigation, said: “Rahman was deliberately obstructive when interviewed by police, but had no choice but to plead guilty in court due to the weight of evidence against him.”
A spokesperson for the Community Security Trust said: "Nobody should be subjected to racist abuse, threats and intimidation simply because they are Jewish. We are grateful for the swift action of Thames Valley Police in identifying and arresting the offender, and the CPS for securing a conviction.
"This prosecution and sentencing send a clear message that antisemitism will not be tolerated and that there should always be a consequence for this kind of appalling anti-Jewish hatred."
A spokesperson for Shomrim, a non-profit voluntary organisation which works with police to keep Jewish communities safe, said: "This was a deeply disturbing antisemitic attack on a member of the Jewish community who was simply going about his daily work.
“We welcome the swift and professional response from Thames Valley Police, which demonstrates that hate crime will not be tolerated and that offenders will be brought to justice.
“We also thank the members of the public who came forward with information, whose support was instrumental in identifying the offender.”
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