🔴 MUSTAFA KOKONEH CHARGED: EDINBURGH SUPERMARKET STABBINGS

A 23-year-old man has appeared in private at Edinburgh Sheriff Court charged with two counts of attempted murder following a violent disturbance in the Wester Hailes area of the city.

Mustafa Kokoneh is accused of targeting a female shop customer and a male victim during a series of attacks at Calder Park Supermarket and the adjacent Cobbinshaw House North flats on Monday morning.

The Crown alleges that Kokoneh struck the woman on the head with a glass bottle and repeatedly stabbed the man with a knife, resulting in severe injury and permanent impairment.

Further charges against the defendant include the assault of two other men to the danger of their lives, possession of a bladed weapon, and a breach of the peace involving the destruction of property and vandalism within the store.

Kokoneh, who is originally from Libya and was granted British citizenship in 2023, made no plea during the brief judicial hearing and was remanded in custody.

The court heard allegations that the defendant conducted himself in a disorderly manner by pursuing members of the public with weapons before taking shelter on the 11th floor of a residential tower block and throwing items from a window.

Following the court appearance, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Cobbinshaw House tower block to voice concerns regarding local safety and the background of residents recently moved into the area.

Police Scotland units were deployed in significant numbers to maintain order as the crowd moved to confront a counter-protest organised by trade unionists and anti-racism campaigners outside a nearby church.

Chief Superintendent David Robertson confirmed that while tensions briefly escalated during the demonstration, both groups eventually dispersed without any arrests or injuries being reported.

The initial police response to the supermarket disturbance has faced scrutiny from local residents after officers were reportedly advised to wait for firearms units before intervening at the scene.

Authorities have issued a formal warning regarding the spread of misinformation on social media, clarifying that the incident is not being treated as terror-related despite claims circulating online.

Local community organisers stated that the subsequent protests were fueled by external groups seeking to utilise the alleged stabbing to create civil division within the Calders area.