A bare-chested man carrying two large knives chased a delivery driver off an e-bike on Leith Walk, striking him repeatedly before police arrived — the final act in a 90-minute spree of violence that has left five people injured and a 36-year-old facing terrorism-linked charges.
Lewis Hawkes appeared in private at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday charged with five counts of attempted murder, all “aggravated by reason of having a terrorist connection”. He made no plea and was remanded in custody.
“Lewis Hawkes charged with five attempted murders after alleged anti-Muslim attacks across Edinburgh on Friday.”
The attacks began at about 20:30 on Friday near Broomhouse Mosque in the west of Edinburgh. Two 22-year-old men, understood to have recently left Asr prayer, were stabbed multiple times at Sighthill Park and taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
Thirty minutes later, a taxi was vandalised at a Shell garage on Telford Road, about five miles away, leaving it with broken windows. An image from the scene appeared to show a hatchet with a yellow and black handle lying in the back seat.
CCTV footage recorded at 21:28 showed a man standing beside a black vehicle with its window smashed at a BP garage on Ferry Road. The video shows the man entering the kiosk before overturning shelves and leaving products scattered across the floor.
Minutes later, further footage obtained by BBC Scotland captures a bare-chested Hawkes carrying two large weapons and parking partially across a bike lane on Leith Walk. He leaves the vehicle, chases a man on an e-bike, then returns to the car but quickly emerges again and runs towards a man who has stepped off a tram before repeatedly striking him with two large knives. The man runs away; Hawkes stops chasing him and instead turns towards a pizzeria, striking the door several times before the restaurant brings down electronic shutters. He then walks back onto Leith Walk and attacks a delivery driver on an e-bike, who falls off his vehicle. Police arrive shortly afterwards.
Three people were attacked on Leith Walk in total. Police Scotland said none of the injuries were life-threatening and an investigation led by counter-terror officers was ongoing.
Hawkes faces an additional charge of assault and robbery, two counts of breach of the peace and two counts of culpable and reckless conduct — all carrying the terrorist connection aggravation.
First minister John Swinney said Friday’s events should be a “wake-up call” to Scotland over intolerance towards others. He said he was “terrified” the incidents were the product of intolerance being “legitimised”. Police Scotland said it had spoken to more than 90 multi-faith organisations across Edinburgh in the aftermath.