A man who hit one man with a bottle, slapped a teenager in the face and then punched an elderly man on his way to prayers has been convicted of hate crimes.

Abdullah Qureshi travelled to Stamford Hill on August 18, 2021, where he assaulted three people he believed were Jewish.

The 30-year-old, from Dewsbury, West Yorskhire, was today (November 10) found guilty of one count of religiously aggravated grievous bodily harm and two counts of religiously aggravated assault by beating.

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Qureshi first assaulted a 30-year-old man, Chaim Greenfield, in Cazenove Road, at approximately 6.40pm, hitting him in the side of the face with a bottle.

Just over an hour later, at 7.45pm, he slapped the face of a 14-year-old boy who was wearing a traditional Jewish coat and hat in Holmdale Terrace.

And 45 minutes later, Qureshi punched 63-year-old Jacob Lipschitz, in the face as he was on his way to evening prayers at the synagogue in Stamford Hill.

Mr Lipschitz fell into a wall and then briefly lost consciousness. He was later taken to Homerton Hospital where he had an operation to repair four fractures to his foot.

All of the attacks were unprovoked, with the victims chosen because they appeared to be of the Jewish faith.

Qureshi was arrested by West Yorkshire Police on September 2, 2021, at his home in Parker Street, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, when he was recognised following a Metropolitan Police Service appeal.

District Crown Prosecutor Varinder Hayre said: “The assaults Abdullah Qureshi carried out were entirely unprovoked and based solely on his religious hatred.

“Mr Lipschitz, continues to suffer pain and dizziness several months after the attack, and the 14-year-old boy was traumatised by the incident and remains fearful when he is in the street.

“We had a strong case and I’m pleased the court agreed. The random nature of these attacks also caused fear more widely across this close-knit community, given it was clear that the attacks were religiously motivated.

“This type of hate crime, against any community, will be robustly prosecuted. The charges chosen by the CPS allow the court to increase the sentence to reflect the religious hatred that motivated these attacks.”

Qureshi has been committed for sentence at Snaresbrook Crown Court to appear on December 8.

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