Man who shouted 'dirty Jews' and shoved baby's pram convicted of racist assault

Adam Cassidy caught by police after video of attack published by The Independent goes viral

A man who launched an antisemitic tirade at a Jewish family after bumping into their buggy has been convicted of racially aggravated assault.

Adam Cassidy, 20, was caught on film calling the Mendelsohn family “dirty Jews” three times and then kicking a hoarding towards them on a busy high street last year.

Despite pleading not guilty and claiming he had first been called a “dirty Arab”, the judge, District Judge Margaret Dodd, dismissed this defence and said it was clear Cassidy had deliberately used a racist slur unprovoked.

After The Independent published a video taken by Michael Mendelsohn, one of the victims, the altercation in St Albans went viral online leading to Cassidy’s swift identification.

Mr Mendelsohn said he, his in-laws and their young baby had been sitting outside a coffee shop during a day trip to the Hertfordshire town in August when Cassidy had barged into the buggy.

When the family, who wear the kippah Jewish skull-cap, had demanded to know why he had knocked into the infant, Cassidy only replied by calling them “dirty Jews”.

Mr Mendelsohn then took his phone out and began filming, while Cassidy repeated the slur and then kicked a nearby hoarding towards the family.

“It was a bit of a shock [and] completely unprovoked,” the victim said at the time. “It was very upsetting and very distressing.”

In court, Cassidy – whose father is Turkish and who grew up in Egypt — denied the charges, saying while he had called the Mendelsohns “dirty Jews”, this was only in response to them first calling him a “dirty Arab” before the video begins.

Ali Hussain, defending, said: “it’s really him using vulgar language directed at somebody who is clearly Jewish but not, as required by the Act, that he is demonstrating hostility based on the fact that they are Jewish.”

But Judge Dodd rejected this defence, said she did not accept the Mendelsohns had called Cassidy anything at all to provoke his antisemitic abuse.

“Whether it was an accident when you bumped into the buggy I don’t know,” she said. “That doesn’t excuse what you did and doesn’t excuse your response.

“There are plenty of words you could have used if you just wanted to be rude; this was motivated by a racial motive.

“It was obvious that they were Jewish because of their skull caps and for that reason you said ‘dirty Jew’ three times.”

In addition, she said the barrier Cassidy kicked intentionally would have hit Mr Mendelsohn if he had not got out of the way.

The 20-year-old was ordered to return to the court next month for sentencing.

Speaking after the hearing, Mr Mendelsohn – who had experienced antisemitic abuse in the street before – said the trial had added made the shocking incident even worse.

“Cassidy’s defence added insult to injury. It’s upsetting that this kind of behaviour happens in this day and age.”