Teenage boys convicted of anti-Semitic attack on visiting Rabbi in Stamford Hill

Stamford Hill is home to a large Jewish community (file image)
REUTERS
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Two teenage brothers who kicked a senior Rabbi to the ground as he walked along the street in north London have been convicted of an anti-Semitic attack.

The boys, aged 15 and 16, picked out the victim due to his traditional Jewish clothes, shouting “dirty Jew” and “kill the Jews” as they launched the violent assault.

The Rabbi, 54, who was visiting the UK from Israel for a wedding, was punched and kicked repeatedly until he fell to the ground, his glasses were knocked off, and he was left with an injured back and bleeding fingers.

The two teenagers, who cannot be named due to their ages, ran away laughing after the attack in Amhurst Park, Stamford Hill at around 9.45pm on November 29 last year.

They denied a racially aggravated assault but were convicted today following a two-day trial at Stratford magistrates court.

Both boys, from Hackney, will return to be sentenced on July 21.

Peter Alexandrou, from the CPS, said: “This was an unprovoked and despicable act against a Jewish man who was holidaying in the UK.

“He was clearly targeted in this hate crime and should not have been subjected to such behaviour in our society.

“The prosecution case included strong witness evidence and CCTV footage of the attack as well as CCTV tracking the defendants leaving the scene after the assault.”

The shaken victim reported the attack to the local Jewish group, the Shomrim, who then contacted the police.

They said the Rabbi had been punched, kicked, and thrown to the ground, and the attack only stopped thanks to the intervention of members of the public.

Following a media appeal, the boys, then aged 14 and 15, were identified on CCTV images and handed themselves in to police.

Their sentences are likely to be increased thanks to the racially-aggravated nature of the crime.

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