Daily Mail
Sudanese asylum seeker who dragged Christian preacher off a ladder and threatened him with a knife at Speakers' Corner is spared jail
By LETTICE BROMOVSKY, NEWS REPORTER
Published: 07:45 EST, 16 February 2026 | Updated: 08:04 EST, 16 February 2026
An asylum seeker who dragged a Christian preacher off a ladder and threatened him with a knife has been spared jail.
Ahmed Mohammed, 35, attacked Daniel Ayettey as he preached to a crowd at Speakers' Corner, in London's Hyde Park in May last year.
Mr Ayettey's sermon descended into violence when Mohammed asked 'what would you like to happen in my life?' and he responded: 'I would like to have the Lord in your life'.
This seemed to trigger Mohammed who 'very quickly' became angry and started to threaten Mr Ayettey, telling him: 'I'm going to stab you'.
The Sudanese national, who has 29 previous convictions for 67 offences since arriving in the UK in 2012, tried to force his victim off a ladder before brandishing a knife.
A number of witnesses tried to convince Mr Ayettey not to call the police but Mohammed was arrested and refused to be interview.
Mohammed - who applied to the Home Office for indefinite leave to remain in the UK - was convicted of threatening a person with an offensive weapon in a public place.
As sentencing was passed down, Judge Martin Griffith told him: 'You've got a shocking record of convictions'.
Mohammed admitted three separate counts of theft from a shop from Sainsbury's in Marble Arch on May 3, just weeks before the attack.
He was also convicted of one count of failing to comply with a community protection notice.
Southwark Crown Court heard that during the incident Mohammed screamed: 'I'm going to stab you'.
He had asked Mr Ayettey during an argument about religion: 'What would you like to happen in my life?'
The preacher replied: 'I would like to have the Lord in your life.'
Nicholas Mesure, prosecuting, told the court: 'That seemed to be the catalyst as it very quickly changed Mr Mohammed's demeanour and he became very angry.
'There were a number of people, including Muslims, who were aware of Mr Mohammed and they tried to persuade Mr Ayettey not to call the police.'
Mohammed was sentenced to 22 months imprisonment, suspended for two years.
Judge Griffith accepted the migrant had already spent eight months in custody since his arrest and had indicated he was willing to undergo alcohol treatment.
He said: 'I hope [the suspended sentence] could be a sign for you that you should not be back with your friends in Westminster doing nothing and drinking and stealing from shops.
'If you have been stringing me along, I will send you back to prison. You know what you have done in the past has attracted attention. You have got to stop doing that.'
He must also attend 30 days rehabilitation activities requirement (RAR) and six months of alcohol treatment in a Brent clinic.
The judge also imposed several conditions on his release, including exclusion from Westminster and a ban on alcohol and drugs.
He said he would impose no additional fines adding 'you've got no money', but quipped: 'You are allowed Rizla cigarette papers, so you can have a fag.'
Mohammed was ordered to return to court in two months for a review of his progress.
Judge Griffith said: 'When I see you in two months' time, I expect [probation] to say how well you are doing. I will see you on 10 April with a glowing report.'
Speakers' Corner in London Hyde Park was created by an Act of Parliament in 1872.
According to the Royal Parks: 'Historic figures such as Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin and George Orwell were known to often use the area to demonstrate free speech.'
In 2024, Islamist extremist Edward Little was jailed for life for planning to kill a Christian preacher at Speakers' Corner.
Similarly in 2021, Christian preacher Hatun Tash was stabbed at Speakers' Corner for wearing a T-shirt with a cartoon from Charlie Hebdo, the French magazine targeted by Islamist extremists.
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