George Floyd Protests: Attack on Nine's Sophie Walsh deemed 'too serious' for UK magistrates' court

A man who assaulted Nine's Europe Correspondent Sophie Walsh has pleaded guilty in court after being charged by police in the United Kingdom.

A UK magistrate on Thursday described the attack on Walsh as "too serious" for the Westminster magistrates' court, referring it upwards for sentencing.

"Your actions were extremely threatening, which put the reporter in fear of her safety and possibly in fear of her life," Magistrate Nicholas Tarry told the man, Soofuu Yakr.

"An offensive weapon was brandished, religious comments were made.

"This whole offence is too serious for the magistrates' sentencing powers to be sufficient so we are sending this to the crown court."

Yakr has been remanded in police custody until a sentencing hearing at Southwark Crown court next month.

Walsh had been speaking to 9News Adelaide's Brenton Ragless at a Black Lives Matter rally in London's Hyde Park on Wednesday night when the man approached her, making motions to stab her and yelled the words "Alluha Akbar".

Walsh screamed out as he grabbed her.

READ MORE: Second reporter attacked in London

"Sorry, I just had someone come up and try and… A man just came up and grabbed me. It's okay, he's not armed," she told Ragless.

The man was then chased and detained by Nine's camera operator, Jason Conduit, and other bystanders at the scene until police arrived.

"This random guy grabbed me from behind... He started punching me, the only way I can describe it is sort of stabby motions," Walsh later said.

"He had a hand in his pocket. I thought: 'Does he have a knife and will he start stabbing us all?'"

Walsh wasn't on camera at the time, but her screams could be heard.

"I don't think anyone knows the sound of their true scream until they're in a situation like that where they feel like it's a life or death scenario," she said.

UK police officers found the man had a screwdriver.

Yakr, 26, of no fixed address, was charged on Thursday with assault, as well as possessing an offensive weapon and possessing cannabis.

He appeared via video link in court, where he pleaded guilty to the charges.

Walsh said she was shaken by the incident, but is unharmed.

"Nine News appreciates the enormous pressure our international correspondents are under and is offering Sophie Walsh ongoing support," Nine has said in a statement.

"Sophie is grateful for the outpouring of support she has received from the public and wishes to reassure our viewers that she is safe and well."

She has been reporting on protests that have sparked up in the United Kingdom and Europe in light of the demonstrations and riots in the United State after the death of African American man George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers.

At the time of the assault, Walsh had been discussing riots in Paris where tear gas was used to scatter protesters and police were pelted with debris during an unauthorised demonstration against racial injustice and heavy-handed police tactics.

Hours after the assault on Ms Walsh another Nine reporter, Ben Avery, and his camera operator, Cade Thompson, were forced to outrun an angry mob after they were confronted while on-air.

Avery said they realised they were in trouble when a group surrounded them. They tried to walk away but the danger followed them into an underground tunnel.

One of the mob snatched his microphone and Avery said there were quickly "dozens of these protesters just chasing after us down the road".

The news crew's security guard dropped behind and was swallowed by the mob.

"He was taking on about, I think, 15 people at one stage," Avery said.

He and Thompson bolted towards a large group of police outside parliament house and they helped get the security guard to safety.

Avery says they are all okay, but he's nursing a sore face after being hit in the head by a flying bottle as he fled.

"It can turn quickly and it can turn no matter how many police are around, we came to learn," he said.

"It felt like there was a police officer for every single protester there at that stage but it didn't make much difference."

Floyd died last week after a police officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air.

The death set off protests that spread across America – and now, beyond.