A Sudanese national seeking asylum in the UK is now facing a prison sentence after threatening a Christian preacher with a knife at the historic Speakers' Corner in London's Hyde Park.
Confrontation at a London landmark
The incident occurred on the 25th of May when 35-year-old Ahmed Mohammed approached preacher Daniel Ayettey, who was addressing a crowd from a ladder at the famous free speech site. The court heard that a prior discussion about religion had taken place between the two men. Mohammed had asked the preacher, 'What would you like to happen in my life?' to which Ayettey replied, 'I would like to have the Lord in your life.'
Prosecutor Nicholas Mesure told Southwark Crown Court that this response acted as a catalyst, causing Mohammed's demeanour to change rapidly as he became very angry. Mohammed then attempted to drag Ayettey from the ladder before brandishing a knife and screaming, 'I'm going to stab you.'
A lengthy criminal record revealed
The court was informed that Ahmed Mohammed, who arrived in Britain from Sudan in 2012, has an extensive criminal history in the UK. He has accumulated 29 convictions for a total of 67 offences. In a separate hearing just weeks before the Hyde Park incident, on the 3rd of May, Mohammed pleaded guilty to three counts of theft from a Sainsbury's supermarket in Marble Arch.
Despite the eyewitness accounts and the weapon, Mohammed denied the charge of threatening a person with an offensive weapon in a public place but was convicted by the court. He also received a conviction for failing to comply with a community protection notice.
Sentencing delayed as reports are unfinished
Mohammed's sentencing has been adjourned for a third time. Judge Nigel Sangster KC noted that probation services had known him since 2024 but that he had never engaged with an alcohol report requested since December, leaving the court without a crucial assessment.
The defendant, who is of no fixed address and was remanded in custody, will now appear again at Southwark Crown Court for sentencing on the 16th of January. He had previously applied to the Home Office for indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom.
The prosecution highlighted that several bystanders, including Muslims who were aware of Mohammed, had tried to persuade preacher Ayettey not to contact the police following the threatening episode. Officers later arrested Mohammed, who refused to be interviewed.
A history of violence at Speakers' Corner
This is not the first violent attack linked to the iconic Speakers' Corner. In July 2021, Christian preacher Hatun Tash was attacked and stabbed at the same location for wearing a T-shirt featuring a cartoon from Charlie Hebdo magazine.
Furthermore, in 2024, Islamist extremist Edward Little, a British-born Muslim convert, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years for planning to murder a Christian preacher at the Hyde Park site. The area, established by an Act of Parliament in 1872, has a long tradition of free speech, historically used by figures such as Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, and George Orwell.
