Clapham chemical attack: Relative of suspect says wanted man was in relationship with victim
The man accused of a chemical attack on a mother and her two young children in south London was in a relationship with the woman, a relative of the suspect has told Sky News.
The close relative also said they would hand the suspect in to the police themselves if they had to.
Abdul Ezedi, 35, has been urged by police to hand himself in after going on the run following the attack involving a corrosive alkaline substance in Clapham on Wednesday.
It’s now known twelve people were injured, including a mother, 31, and her two daughters, aged three and eight. All three remain in hospital, with the mother’s injuries thought to be “life-changing”.
CCTV images released by police on Friday showed Ezedi, with what appeared to be extensive injuries to the right side of his face.
A close relative to the suspect has told Sky News that they are “worried about” him and they want to “find out if he is alive or dead”.
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How did Clapham chemical attack unfold?
“His injury is very bad and he needs medical attention,” they said.
The relative said they are planning to travel from London to Newcastle, where Ezedi is understood to live, to try to find him.
“I will bring him in by myself if I have to,” they added.
Ezedi arrived in the UK on a lorry in 2016 after fleeing Afghanistan. After two failed attempts, his asylum claim to stay in the UK was granted in 2020.
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‘Checking if he was received into the Catholic faith’
He was allowed to stay in the country after a priest confirmed he had converted to Christianity and was “wholly committed” to his new religion, Sky News understands.
An asylum seeker can claim asylum in the UK on the basis of religious persecution in their native country.
A spokesperson for the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle has confirmed to Sky News that Ezedi did visit the diocesan Justice and Peace Refugee Project – a Catholic charity which helps those who come to them in need.
They said they are currently “in the process of checking if this individual was received into the Catholic faith in any of our parishes, and have so far found nothing to support that. We are also investigating whether he was helped in other ways.
“The Diocese will assist the police investigations in any way we can.”
‘We need the full picture’
Growing up in Afghanistan, the relative described Ezedi as “a quiet, good person”, “who cares about everyone”.
The relative believes the allegations made against him seem out of character.
“We need to know the full picture, what really happened,” they said.
Ezedi was handed a suspended sentence for a sexual offence in Newcastle in 2018 and was discharged from probation supervision two years later.
When asked about this offence, the relative said: “This isn’t the man I know, I don’t believe he would do that kind of thing.”
A woman has been charged with the murder of another woman in London.
Officers were called to the Tower Hamlets area of the city at about 1.17am on Sunday.
Metropolitan Police received reports of a woman suffering stab injuries in the foyer of a block of flats in Duckett Street.
London Ambulance Service was also in attendance but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Hope Rowe, 32, has been charged with murder and is due to appear at Thames Magistrates’ Court on Monday morning.
She has also been charged with possession of a bladed article.
Formal identification of the deceased is yet to take place, but police believe her to be 31-year-old Charlotte Lawler.
Her next of kin have been informed and are receiving support from trained officers.
A 37-year-old man who was previously arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender has been released on bail.
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Police said they were not looking for anyone else as part of their investigation at this time.
Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney previously said his thoughts were with the victim’s family “at this very difficult time”.
The investigation into the death continues and police have asked anyone with information to get in touch.
UK
Search launched for missing Melrose teenager believed to have disappeared while walking in Eildon Hills
A search has been launched for a missing 18-year-old in the Scottish Borders.
Kamile Gimbutyte, also known as Rhian, was last seen in the Melrose area at around 2pm on Sunday and is believed to have been going for a walk in the Eildon Hills.
Inspector David Robertson said: “We are becoming increasingly concerned for Kamile’s welfare and efforts are ongoing to trace them.
“I am appealing to anyone who has seen Kamile or who has any information on their whereabouts to contact us.”
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
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The Melrose teenager is around 5ft 4in tall, of medium build, and has short dark hair.
When last seen they were wearing a striped navy-blue hooded top, blue trousers and had a navy backpack.
UK
Starmer to explore Albania migration deal as he meets Italian PM after appointing new border security chief
Italy’s migration deal with Albania will be on the agenda as the prime minister meets his counterpart in Rome on Monday, after appointing a former police chief to tackle people smuggling.
Sir Keir Starmer has signalled he is “interested” in the plan under which Tirana will accept asylum seekers on Italy‘s behalf while their claims are processed.
While he admitted it was “early days” in the rollout of the policy, he indicated he was open to pursuing a similar scheme for Britain.
Talking before the trip, the prime minister said his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni “has of course got some strong ideas and I hope to discuss those with her”.
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At least 45 people have died in Channel crossings so far this year
Asked whether he would consider pursuing an agreement similar to the one Italy has struck with Albania, Sir Keir replied: “Let’s see. It’s in early days, I’m interested in how that works, I think everybody else is.
“It’s very, very early days.”
On the visit, the prime minister will be joined by the UK’s new Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt.
Martin Hewitt in 2021. Pic: PA
Mr Hewitt has been appointed to lead the government’s new Border Security Command – a key election pledge made by Sir Keir to tackle illegal immigration to the UK, replacing the previous Tory government’s Rwanda scheme.
The pair will tour the National Coordination Centre for Migration to see how Italy responds to irregular migration.
Mr Hewitt, the former National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) chair, will lead a new international effort to destroy criminal smuggling gangs, the government says.
He stepped down as chair of the NPCC in April 2023 after a four-year term. During the pandemic, he delivered several addresses to the nation from Downing Street as the “voice of policing”.
Sir Keir said of the appointment: “No more gimmicks. This government will tackle the smuggling gangs who trade the lives of men, women and children across borders.
“Martin Hewitt’s unique expertise will lead a new era of international enforcement to dismantle these networks, protect our shores and bring order to the asylum system.”
Mr Hewitt said: “For too long, the criminal gangs who smuggle people through Europe have abused our borders in the name of profit, and they are responsible for the deaths of scores of vulnerable, innocent people.
“We will dismantle them, bring them to justice and prevent them from using exploitation and deceit to fill their pockets.”
At least 45 people have died in Channel crossings so far this year.
More than 21,000 people crossed the English Channel in small boats between January and September this year, government figures show.
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