A man has been jailed following an antisemitic hate crime in Slough in April.

Shafiq Rahman, aged 48, of Lismore Park in Slough, appeared at Reading Crown Court today (10/7) where he was sentenced to a total of 16 months in prison. The sentence relates to the hate crime and a separate incident in June 2025 in which a dog being walked by Rahman caused serious injury to a man in Thatcham.

On Monday 20 April a Jewish man in his thirties was carrying out work at a property on Elliman Avenue. The man was wearing a traditional Jewish head covering known as a kippah.

As Rahman cycled past, he noticed the victim and began shouting antisemitic abuse at him. He then approached the victim, made threats, and attempted to snatch his phone from his hands.

A couple of members of the public attempted to intervene before being verbally abused themselves.

Police were called and an investigation was launched.

Footage of the incident was widely shared on social media, which caused understandable distress and concern, both locally and more widely.

After video of the incident was shared online, as well as a public appeal by police, a number of people called in to provide information. As a result of this, the suspect was identified as Rahman and officers arrested him on Thursday 23 April. He was charged the next day, and pleaded guilty to one count of racially/religiously aggravated common assault, one count of racially/religiously aggravated fear/provocation of violence by words, and one count of criminal damage.

In relation to the serious injuries caused to a man in Thatcham, Rahman was charged with being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury.

Commander for Berkshire East, Chief Superintendent Stuart Bosley, said: “This was a shocking and targeted antisemitic attack on a man simply going about his work. We understand that crimes of this nature cause distress and fear, having a profound impact not only on the victim, but on the wider community. Everyone should feel safe to go about their lives without fear of harassment or abuse, and I sincerely hope that this case emphasises how seriously Thames Valley Police take antisemitic hate crime.

“I want to be absolutely clear that there is no place for antisemitism in Slough or in wider society. We remain committed to tackling hate crime, supporting victims and working with our communities to ensure they are safe and protected.”

Detective Inspector Terry Dixon, of Berkshire East’s Priority Crime Team, who led the investigation, said: “Thanks to the dedicated, swift work of our detectives, and the support of our communities, Rahman was arrested, charged, and before the courts within a matter of days following this crime. We are extremely grateful for the support of community partners and the wider public for their support – the information they provided directly resulted in the swift apprehension of Rahman.

“Rahman was deliberately obstructive when interviewed by police, but had no choice but to plead guilty in court due to the weight of evidence against him.”

A spokesperson for the Community Security Trust, which is a charity that works across the Jewish community, said: “Nobody should be subjected to racist abuse, threats and intimidation simply because they are Jewish. We are grateful for the swift action of Thames Valley Police in identifying and arresting the offender, and the CPS for securing a conviction. This prosecution and sentencing send a clear message that antisemitism will not be tolerated and that there should always be a consequence for this kind of appalling anti-Jewish hatred. We will continue to work closely with police and community partners to support victims and tackle antisemitism in all its forms.”

A spokesperson for Shomrim, a non-profit voluntary organisation which works with police to keep Jewish communities safe, said: “This was a deeply disturbing antisemitic attack on a member of the Jewish community who was simply going about his daily work.

We welcome the swift and professional response from Thames Valley Police, which demonstrates that hate crime will not be tolerated and that offenders will be brought to justice.

We also thank the members of the public who came forward with information, whose support was instrumental in identifying the offender.

Shomrim remains committed to working closely with the police and partner agencies to encourage reporting, support victims, and help ensure that Jewish communities can live and work safely without fear of intimidation or abuse.”

If you have been the victim of any incident of this nature we want to hear from you. You can report via our website or by calling 101.

Always call 999 in an emergency or if a crime is in progress.