In June, 81-year-old James Henkel was found guilty of six charges including, assault with a weapon, assault and mischief. The court heard that in September 2024, Henkel attacked Muslim women in the area of Berkshire Drive in south London. Through the victim impact statements, one woman said she and her young child were fearful and she still asks her, “Is the man who hit you put away?” The woman who says she’s been in Canada for 26 years described herself as a Muslim and Palestinian, and said Henkel yelled at her, “To hear someone say got back to Gaza and die there…that has changed me and I don’t feel comfortable in our neighbourhood anymore.” The court has heard Henkel brandished a knife. “I can’t take away what my children saw,” the woman said. The court heard he also grabbed her cellphone and threw it away. Henkel’s lawyer Edward Berlew said Henkel had suffered a stroke and his family has said that’s when his personality changed. Berlew also said that he has no prior criminal record. Crown Attorney Jeremy Carnegie said, “This is a hate motivated offence…members of the targeted group were lead to be fearful.” Carnegie added that if Henkel was younger he would be requesting real jail time. The court heard that Henkel has moved out of London and now resides in Kitchener with his wife and daughter. Justice Thomas Stinson sentenced Henkel to 180 days of house arrest with conditions, two years probation along with a ten year ban prohibiting him from possessing weapons. He is also not allowed to contact the victims in this case.
