Man pleads not guilty to attempted murder of two Jewish men in London

A 45-year-old man pleaded not guilty on Friday to attempting to murder two Jewish men who were stabbed in a knife attack in north London in April, an offense prosecutors said they were no longer treating as terrorism.

Essa Suleiman, a British national who was born in Somalia, is alleged to have attacked the men in Golders Green on April 29, one of a spate of incidents targeting Jewish premises in the same area of London, which is home to a large Jewish population.

The attacks left Britain's 290,000 Jews fearing for their safety, and prompted the government to promise stronger action to protect them.

Suleiman appeared for a brief hearing at London's Old Bailey court on Friday and pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempted murder.

He also denied a third count of attempted murder, relating to an unconnected incident at the home of a former acquaintance earlier the same day, and possession of a bladed article.

Suleiman will next appear in court in January

Police had initially said the stabbings were being investigated as suspected terrorism.

Prosecutor Deanna Heer said on Friday, however, that the Crown Prosecution Service had concluded that following a review, there was no sufficient evidence to say the stabbings had a terrorist connection.

Suleiman was remanded in custody and will next appear in court on January 15, with his trial due to start in March.