Man Jailed for Terrorizing Churchgoers With Death Threats at Historic Cambridgeshire Church
Mohammed El Deihi sentenced to nearly two years for threatening to kill churchgoers at St Marys Church in Hardwick, Cambridgeshire.
Man Jailed After Making Death Threats Inside Historic Cambridgeshire Church
Mohammed El Deihi, 34, of no known address, has been sentenced to one year and ten months in prison after admitting to making threats to kill inside St Mary's Church in Hardwick, Cambridgeshire.
El Deihi was sentenced at Peterborough Crown Court on 26 February 2026 after pleading guilty to threats to kill, two counts of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour to cause alarm or distress, outraging public decency, and failing to surrender to bail.
The court heard that El Deihi had repeatedly visited St Mary's Church in the village of Hardwick, near Cambridge, where he would linger in doorways and block exits, intimidating churchgoers. Despite being asked multiple times to stop coming to the church, he continued to appear.
In June 2025, when a churchgoer asked El Deihi to leave, he became agitated, moved very close to the victim and shouted threats to kill him.
The incidents at the church were part of a wider pattern of threatening behaviour in the Hardwick area. In February 2025, El Deihi followed a woman on her morning walk and became aggressive when she asked him to stop. In March 2025, he shouted at and blocked the path of another woman while she was walking.
In a separate incident, El Deihi approached a woman at a bus stop while barefoot and covered in mud, making inappropriate statements before committing an indecent act. A bystander intervened to help the victim.
El Deihi's behaviour was blatant and absolutely disgusting. He was trying to intimidate and frighten his victims.
PC Cairn Ivers, the investigating officer with Cambridgeshire Police, made the statement following the sentencing.
Cambridgeshire Church Attacker Sentenced After Terrorizing Worshippers at St Mary's Hardwick
St Mary's Church in Hardwick is a historic Church of England parish church where the local community has worshipped for over 1,000 years. The church, built in the Perpendicular style from field stones, dates largely from the 14th century and is a cherished landmark in the quiet village near Cambridge.
The sentencing sends a clear message that threats of violence in places of worship will not be tolerated. Cambridgeshire Police confirmed that El Deihi's campaign of intimidation had caused significant distress to multiple victims in the community.
The Crusader's Opinion
A church is meant to be a sanctuary. It is meant to be a place where believers come to worship God without fear. When a man walks into a house of God and threatens to kill the people inside, that is not just a criminal act. That is an assault on the faith itself.
One year and ten months. That is what you get for terrorizing an entire congregation, for stalking women on the streets, and for committing indecent acts in broad daylight. Ask yourself this: if a Christian man walked into a mosque and threatened to kill worshippers, would the sentence be one year and ten months? Or would it be called a hate crime and punished with the full weight of the law?
The double standard is deafening. Christians in the West are expected to absorb every insult, every threat, every act of desecration against their churches, and simply turn the other cheek while the courts hand down sentences that amount to a slap on the wrist. This is what happens when a society stops valuing the sacred.
Take Action
- Pray for the congregation of St Mary's Church, Hardwick, and for their safety and peace as they continue to worship.
- Contact your local MP to advocate for stronger sentencing for crimes committed in places of worship. Find your MP at https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP.
- Support church security initiatives in your local community. Speak with your church leadership about safety planning and volunteer coordination.
- Donate to www.TheShepherdsShield.org to support the protection of persecuted Christians worldwide.
- Report any suspicious or threatening behaviour at your church to the police immediately by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency.
