Teenager in court accused of anti-Semitic attack on two Jewish shop owners hours before Holocaust Memorial Day

A teenager denied launching an anti-Semitic attack on two Jewish shop owners hours before Holocaust Memorial Day when he appeared in court today.

Malachi Thorpe, 18, faces two charges of inflicting religiously aggravated grievous bodily harm and one charge of possession of an offensive weapon.

Israel Grossman and Erwin Ginsberg were taken to hospital following the incident in north London at around 9.50pm on Wednesday.

The attack, which was captured on video and is being treated as a hate crime, took place in the Stamford Hill area which is home to a large Jewish community.

Footage shows both victims leaving a shop in Cadoxton Avenue and going about their business before being set on.

Prosecutors said a bottle was used as an offensive weapon to inflict the injuries and a Jewish skull cap was stamped on.

It was captured on video by Jewish-run neighbourhood watch group Shomrim, which claimed it used CCTV and local knowledge to track down a suspect. It said it is supporting the victims and their families.

Thorpe, of Tottenham, Haringey, spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address when he appeared in custody at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court for today’s hearing, which lasted around half an hour.

Wearing a grey prison tracksuit over a black hoodie and a blue paper mask, he showed little emotion as he replied “not guilty” to each charge as it was read out by the court clerk.

Despite the fact he formally entered not guilty pleas, Jonathan Tyson, defending, said he accepted assaulting the two men - but denied it was religiously aggravated.

Mr Tyson said his client did not use a bottle as an offensive weapon.

Cathryn Evans, prosecuting, said: “This was an unprovoked attack on two visibly Orthodox Jewish men.”

A bail application was refused, and District Judge Michael Oliver remanded Thorpe in custody until the next hearing at Wood Green Crown Court on March 3.

He told Thorpe: “The charges you face are too serious to be dealt with here and must be heard by a crown court.”