Synagogue Attack Fallout: 'Close Associate' in Court Amid Cover-Up Allegations
A close associate of the Manchester synagogue knifeman, Hekmat Ali Hakim, has formally denied charges of failing to disclose information related to last year's terror attack. Hakim, 49, pleaded not guilty at the Old Bailey and will face trial in May 2027, following an incident where Jihad Al-Shamie killed two worshippers.
Hekmat Ali Hakim, a 49-year-old man from Salford, has formally denied charges of failing to disclose information in relation to a terror attack that occurred at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester last October. Appearing via video link from prison at the Old Bailey on Friday, Hakim pleaded not guilty to the accusations, which link him as an alleged 'close associate' of the knifeman, Jihad Al-Shamie.
The devastating incident unfolded when Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, drove into the gates of the synagogue before proceeding to attack worshippers with a knife, all while wearing a fake suicide belt. The attack, which took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year for Jews, resulted in the deaths of two men and serious injuries to three others. Al-Shamie, identified as a Syrian-born British citizen, was ultimately shot dead by police responding to the scene.
The victims of the attack were identified as Melvin Cravitz, 66, who succumbed to multiple knife wounds inflicted by Al-Shamie, and Adrian Daulby, 53. Tragically, Mr. Daulby died from a single gunshot wound to the chest fired by an armed police officer who had been scrambled to the scene in Crumpsall. Three other men who sustained serious injuries were treated in hospital and subsequently released.
Prosecutor Jonathan Polnay KC, in setting out the facts of the case, alleged that Hakim, an Iraqi national residing on St James Road, Higher Broughton, 'failed to disclose that information' despite possessing knowledge that might have prevented the act of terrorism. The charges specify that between August 13 and October 3 of last year, Hakim had information he knew or believed could materially assist in preventing Al-Shamie from committing a terrorist act in the UK, yet he failed to disclose this information to a constable as soon as reasonably practicable.
Hakim had previously indicated not guilty pleas at an earlier hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. Following his formal arraignment on Friday, where he was accompanied by an interpreter, he was remanded in custody. A trial date for Hekmat Ali Hakim has been set for May 17, 2027, at Manchester Crown Court, where these serious allegations will be heard.