‘I’m going to cut your head off’, Hamas supporter tells UK shop worker two days after Israel attacks

A convicted Hamas supporter told a UK shop worker “I’m going to cut your head off” just two days after the Israel attacks began, a court heard.

Feras Al-Jayoosi followed the woman around One Below, in Swindon, Wiltshire, before she started her shift, repeatedly shouting “Don’t ignore me” on Oct 9.

The court heard Al-Jayoosi, 36, followed her into a staff-only storage room, where she told him: “Please leave me alone, I’m not on shift yet.”

He then shouted: “I’m going to take your head off, I’m going to cut your head off”, said Keith Ballinger, prosecuting.

Al-Jayoosi was ushered out of the storage room by another staff member who rushed to the victim’s aid.

At Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to a Section 4 Public Order Act offence.

Dirty look

In custody, he told officers that the shop worker had given him a dirty look and had been rude to him on a previous occasion.

Stephen Collins, mitigating, said his client “accepts a lot of upset was caused” by his actions and confirmed that no bail application is being made due to Al-Jayoosi being recalled to prison.

He was previously convicted of terror offences after wearing T-shirts supporting Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Golders Green, London, which has a large Jewish community. Both groups are proscribed as terrorist organisations in the UK.

At Westminster Magistrates’ Court in December 2021 Al-Jayoosi was given a 16-week prison sentence suspended for two years.

The latest case was adjourned for a pre-sentence report.

He was remanded in custody and is due to appear at the same court for sentencing on Nov 9.