A man has appeared in court charged with five counts of attempted murder linked to terrorism, following a series of alleged anti-Muslim attacks across Edinburgh that left two men stabbed outside a mosque and three more injured on one of the city’s main streets.
Lewis Hawkes, 36, appeared in private at Edinburgh Sheriff Court and was remanded in custody without entering a plea. He was also charged with assault and robbery, breach of the peace and culpable and reckless conduct. Counter-terror officers are leading the ongoing investigation into the incidents, which took place across multiple locations in the capital on Friday evening.
Two men were stabbed multiple times following prayers at Broomhouse Mosque, with both taken to hospital following the attack. A further three people were attacked on Leith Walk, while a taxi and a petrol station were also targeted in what police are treating as connected incidents. Five people in total were hurt across the night.
Police Scotland said they had spoken to more than 90 multi-faith organisations across Edinburgh in the wake of the attacks. Superintendent Neil Wilson, of Police Scotland’s Edinburgh division, acknowledged that concern among some communities had been heightened by the incidents. “It is important that all communities across Scotland feel supported, protected and able to go about their daily lives without fear of hatred or intimidation,” he said. “I would urge everyone to continue to work together and ensure no person or group in Scotland feels marginalised or isolated.”
