A solicitor has described the ‘horrifying’ incident in which he was allegedly threatened by a man who claimed he had come to his office to kill him. Toufique Hossain, a director at Harrow firm Duncan Lewis, was giving evidence at Kingston upon Thames Crown Court in the trial of Cavan Medlock, 31, who is charged with preparation of terrorist acts and making a threat to kill. He denies both charges.

The court heard Medlock went to the firm’s offices on 7 September 2020, armed with a knife and handcuffs. Medlock said he was there to kill immigration solicitor Hossain after seeing his name in a Daily Mail article, the court heard. Hossain, giving evidence, said as he approached Medlock, who had been restrained by another solicitor, he heard him ‘saying a number of things’ including ‘rats’, using a racist term, and adding that ‘Hitler was right’.

Hossain added: ‘[Medlock] was saying "you are all helping these rats come to this country". He was then saying, he kept saying, "he is helping". I think at that stage I said "who do you mean?".

‘At that stage he was looking at me. I cannot recall exactly what I said but it was along the lines of "who are you talking about or what do you want to know?". He said "Toufique Hossain, I have come to kill Toufique Hossain".’

The alleged comment was ‘very much addressed’ to Hossain and his work, the court heard. Hossain said: ‘For me, what was completely horrifying about it was, he was stone cold, unemotional, looking at me with a real deep hatred, I would call it. The manner in which he spoke and the way he looked at me was pretty horrifying.

‘One clear thing I remember, once he had been sat down, while we waited for the police he said "clearly I should have finished the job". I think I said or someone said "what do you mean, what job?" He said, looking directly at me, "to kill this fucker".’

The court heard that Medlock had entered Duncan Lewis’ office and asked to see Hossain. He was told it was not possible without an appointment before he took a combat knife from his rucksack and went toward the receptionist. There was a ‘scuffle’ and the receptionist was able to kick the knife away.

Sheroy Zaq, a supervising solicitor at Duncan Lewis, told the court he saw that Medlock had the receptionist in a headlock. He added: ‘I ran over and grabbed Mr Medlock by the shoulders and forced him into the corner and did my best to keep him there. He was just trying to use his body weight to force his way out of the corner. That did not happen for very long and it was at that point that the verbal abuse began.

‘[Medlock was] saying that people like me do not belong in this country, saying derogatory things about my mother.’

Asked about the sorts of things Medlock was saying, Zaq said: ‘That people like me should not be here, we are the ones that are taking up social housing, we have no right to be here, that was ultimately where he was coming from.

‘In hindsight I do not know why I tried, I said I was born and raised in London…I do belong, this is my home. At that point I realised I was not going to get anywhere, his direct response was it did not matter, you are not fucking white.’

Zaq told the court in his evidence that Medlock had also said ‘Hitler was right, should have got rid of you or finished you off’. Asked if he felt intimidated, Zaq said: ‘Very much so.’

The jury was told Medlock had admitted to four offences in relation to the incident at the firm, including threatening the receptionist with a bladed article in a public place; battery; and two counts of causing racially aggravated alarm or distress against two of the firm’s employees. 

The trial continues.