A man who called a bus driver a ‘terrorist’ and ‘Hamas’ will appear again in court on November 27 after pleading guilty to a racially aggravated public order offence.
Hardy Jalloh, 34, targeted the bus driver whilst aboard a 116 bus on Staines Road in Feltham, west London, on October 26.
A press release from the Metropolitan police confirmed that charges against Jalloh followed a day after his arrest.
Charges concerned a Section 4A offence under the Public Order Act, a racially aggravated offence under Section 31 of the Crime and Disorder Act (1998), and possession of cannabis, the press release confirmed.
Having pleaded guilty to all offences at West London Magistrates’ Court on October 28, the judge granted Jalloh bail until his next court date on November 27 for sentencing.
The Met also confirmed that it has made over 70 arrests related to hate crimes in the capital for “offences relating to the Israel/Hamas conflict,” the force confirmed, adding that officers are also providing more high visibility patrols, whilst working with partners and communities to ensure they feel safe.
Chief Inspector Stephen Warnes, who led the investigation, said: “We will not tolerate any form of hate crime, or tolerate anyone inciting violence.
“We continue to work alongside our colleagues at Transport for London (TfL) to ensure their staff and Londoner’s can go about life without suffering abusive behaviour.”
The Met has recorded alarming rises in reports of hate crime offences against Muslim and Jewish communities in recent weeks – with London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan posting on October 30: “This weekend we saw some horrendous examples of antisemitism and Islamophobia both in our city and across the globe.
Let me be clear: London has zero tolerance for hate. We must not allow events overseas to divide us and lead to hatred.”
The Community Security Trust recorded over 500 antisemitic incidents in London alone following Hamas’s deadly terror attacks on October 7.
Tell MAMA published our latest figures that confirmed a seven-fold increase in anti-Muslim cases between October 7 and October 29 – of the 515 anti-Muslim cases, 155 occurred in London.