UPDATE: Man pleads guilty to attack outside Portsmouth mosque
A 29-year-old man from Southsea has appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates Court
Last updated 2nd Sep 2025
A 29-year-old man from Southsea has pleaded guilty to carrying out an attack outside a mosque in Portsmouth.
Police were called just before 9:30pm on Sunday (31 August), to a report that a man was being racially abusive to a small group of men, women and children who were praying outside of the Jami Mosque.
It was reported that the man had approached the group and was being verbally abusive and threatening them.
A man from the group asked the man to leave them alone, but was then reportedly punched in the chest.
The man then pulled out a knife and behaved aggressively towards two men from the group, but reportedly discarded the knife before leaving the area.
Nobody was seriously injured during the incident.
A spokesperson for Hampshire Police said:
"An investigation has been launched and police are conducting thorough enquiries to establish the full circumstances.
"A knife was located in the area has been seized by police.
"He remains in police custody at this time."
Callum Mcinally, 29, of Waverley Road in Southsea, has been charged with the following:
Racially / religiously aggravated common assault by beating
Assault by beating
Racially / religiously aggravated intentional harassment / alarm / distress
Threaten a person with a blade / sharply pointed article in a public place
He was remanded into custody to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates Court today (Tuesday 2 September), where he pleaded guilty to all offences.
Mcinally has been further remanded into custody and is due to appear next at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday 3 October for sentencing.