Shopkeeper who is accused of choking a female customer goes into hiding after angry protests
By News Desk
A Peckham shopkeeper has gone into hiding after angry protesters started gathering in front of his store.
A video clip of Sohail Sindho went viral, where he was seen allegedly choking a woman after an argument broke out over a refund.
Sindho works at Peckham Hair and Cosmetics, where the incident took place on 11 September. He has claimed that he was “forced” to pull his three sons out of school after protests grew.
In the footage, he could be seen grabbing a young black woman by her throat after she hits him with a shopping cart. She then shouts for help and asks others at the store to call the police.
The next day, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the store demanding for it to be shut down. People were holding placards where messages including “Keep your hands off black women”, “Our investment ends here” and “Stop the violence against women” were written.
The demonstrations are reported to have continued the next day where the protesters echoed the call for action against Sindho.
The man, 45, told MailOnline that he regretted putting his hands on the woman but he did not intend to choke her. Instead, he said that he was trying to restrain her as she was hitting him with a shopping basket.
Watch the video of the incident: https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1701993947671695842
#BLM-style racial unrest sparked in Peckham, #London after a black woman accused of stealing in a weave shop was physically accosted by the South Asian store owner on Monday as she tried leaving. Activists blame the incident on white supremacy, South Asian businesses & systemic… pic.twitter.com/zwi5yYvJfE
— Andy Ngô(@MrAndyNgo) September 13, 2023
Sindho added, “If it wasn’t for my wife and three children I would walk right to the shop and out to the street and talk to the people, because I am very sorry about what happened.
“I want them to know that I was only trying to restrain her. I didn’t mean to put my hands around her throat, and it was only for a few seconds. I do agree that I should not have done that. But I was trying to protect myself as she was hitting me as the video shows.”
He also said that the woman was trying to leave the store with products she did not pay for and had been denied a refund.
“We do not give refunds; we exchange items or give a credit note. So she grabbed some stuff (three packs of hair with a total value of £24) from the shelf and tried to leave,” said Sindho.
He rejected claims that this was a racially motivated attack on the woman.
He said, “Some people have said that it might have been racial because I am Pakistani and she is a black lady. That is absolutely not the truth.
“I want you to know that 99 per cent of my customers are people of colour.
“They are like my family. I don’t know what being racist means. I live and work in a multicultural place, and I am happy here and so are my family.”
Sindho expressed his intention to resolve the issue with the customer. He said, “I am hoping that I can meet with her and we can shake hands and reach a peaceful conclusion. I have two college degrees and am not a simple man. I have friends from as far as China and I don’t see people’s colour. You could say that I am colour blind.”
The 31-year-old woman was taken into custody on suspicion of assault and shoplifting. She was subsequently released on bail pending further investigation. Sindho expressed his reluctance to have the police press charges against her. Additionally, he has been interviewed under caution as part of the ongoing inquiry.
Detective chief superintendent Seb Adjei-Addoh, local policing commander for Southwark, said: “We continue to examine various clips of footage that depict small sections of the wider incident and are working to establish what offences were committed and by whom.”
“My officers will be patrolling Rye Lane today to provide reassurance to the community – I urge anyone who is worried to speak with their local policing team or with officers on patrol.”
