Abdul Ezedi: Documents reveal why Clapham chemical attacker was granted asylum – as pictures show him being baptised
Documents revealing why Clapham chemical attacker Abdul Ezedi – a convicted sex offender – was granted asylum have been made public for the first time, while Sky News has obtained pictures of him being baptised in church.
Ezedi attacked a woman and two children with an alkali on a street in south London in January.
The 35-year-old, from Afghanistan, had twice been refused asylum by the Home Office after arriving in the UK on the back of a lorry in 2016.
Ezedi pictured after the chemical attack in January this year
The second refusal was overturned by a judge in an appeal hearing in October 2020 because of Ezedi’s claim to have converted to Christianity.
A suggestion that he would be at risk of persecution if he returned to Afghanistan was supported by a vicar.
Judge WK O’Hanlon, who granted Ezedi asylum at Newcastle Immigration Court in November 2020, said in his judgment that “the most compelling evidence was that of the former Reverend Merrin”.
The details of that hearing were not initially made public but Sky News can now reveal exactly what happened after receiving the court documents in full.
Ezedi being baptised. Pic: Tribunals Judiciary
‘Baptised by total immersion’
A letter written to the court by Reverend Roy Merrin, a retired ministry team leader at Grange Road Baptist Church in Jarrow, dated 28 August 2018, reads: “I have known Abdul since February 2016, during which time he has attended regular worship services at Grange Road.”
“Abdul has attended an Alpha Course organised by the church and, as a result of him coming to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, has been baptised by total immersion.”
“Abdul has established a good relationship with the other Church members, and is always willing to help as required. Apart from that, Abdul has been ready to share his faith in Christ with non-Christians.”
Reverend Merrin also told the court hearing when he appeared in person that he had previously attended tribunals for four other asylum seekers all of whom were successful in their appeals.
Sky News has contacted Reverend Merrin, who said he had no comment to make.
Also submitted to the tribunal hearing were photos from Ezedi’s baptism on 24 June 2018 as well as pictures of him engaging in what his legal team described as “street ministry”.
Ezedi giving out church leaflets. Pic: Tribunals Judiciary
‘Male supporter’ required at church
But also included in the documents is an undated “safeguarding contract” in relation to Ezedi, drawn up by “Baptists Together”, stating: “This agreement is being put in place because of a conviction of sexual assault and exposure.”
Among other conditions, Ezedi had agreed to “not enter the church without [his] male supporter being present” and “will only come to church for Sunday service”.
It was while living in the UK as a failed asylum seeker that Ezedi had pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault and one count of exposure at Newcastle Crown Court in January 2018. He was handed a suspended prison sentence and put on the sex offenders’ register.
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Pic: Tribunals Judiciary
Ezedi twice refused asylum
There is no mention of those convictions in the tribunal judgment that granted asylum to Ezedi. The court documents have also revealed more about why Ezedi had twice previously been refused asylum.
Ezedi’s initial asylum claim after his arrival in 2016 was on the basis that he feared persecution because of his ethnic group. During that claim, he was described as a Shia Muslim.
The claim was rejected by the Home Office in May 2016 and further rejected on appeal in February 2017. By June 2017, Ezedi had run out of appeal options and was living illegally in the UK.
It was in March 2019 that Ezedi submitted a new asylum claim to the Home Office, saying he had converted to Christianity and would face persecution on that basis if he returned to Afghanistan.
That claim was refused by the Home Office in March 2020 because it did not believe his conversion was genuine.
A letter of congratulation written to Ezedi regarding his baptism. Pic: Tribunals Judiciary
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Asylum seekers have the right to appeal Home Office refusals, and Ezedi and his lawyers then compiled the bundle of documents that were put before the judge for the tribunal hearing that led to him being granted asylum.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “All asylum claims are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with the immigration rules.
“This means that religious conversions do not guarantee a grant of asylum.
“We have engaged with a wide range of stakeholders to help us to improve our policy guidance, training for asylum decision makers, and to ensure we approach claims involving religious conversion in the appropriate way.”
Baptists Together told Sky News: “Baptists Together did not corporately support or sponsor Abdul Ezedi’s asylum application. A personal letter of support commenting solely on Abdul Ezedi’s observed faith journey was written by a retired Baptist Minister.
“The safeguarding contract was a separate issue and was agreed between the church and Abdul Ezedi, with guidance from local and regional safeguarding leads using our national template document of the time.
“This was to show the church had sufficiently risk assessed Abdul Ezedi’s attendance at church, ensuring the safety of the congregation and considering if it was appropriate for him to attend.
“The Home Office make the final decision on asylum applications and have access to full criminal records data to enable them to do this.”
Additional reporting by Nick Stylianou, communities producer
Skies over the UK were turned shades of pink and green as the Northern Lights produced incredible displays for skygazers.
The impressive Aurora Borealis, usually only visible from northern parts of the British Isles, was visible across large parts of the UK overnight, including Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and, unusually, southern England.
The display was triggered after America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued its first severe solar storm warning since 2005 yesterday as a huge geomagnetic storm raced towards Earth.
The NOAA said the G5 geomagnetic storm, which is considered extreme and is the strongest level of geomagnetic storm, hit Earth on Thursday and brought with it the risk of affecting communications, GPS and power grids.
Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.
The incredible display was also spotted across the northern US, Canada, Ireland and Northern Europe.
Chris Snell, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “It is hard to fully predict what will happen in the Earth’s atmosphere, but there will still be enhanced solar activity tonight, so the lights could be visible again in northern parts of the UK, including Scotland, Northern Ireland and the far north of England.”
Here are some of the best pictures overnight from across the UK
St Mary’s Lighthouse in Whitley Bay. Pic: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire
Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire
Northwood, northwest London
Salisbury. Pic: Elena Toms
Great Malvern. Pic: Callum Welfare
Scotland. Pic: Sarah Mills
Bournemouth. Pic: Jamie Trowbridge
West London. Pic: Julia Toms
Kirtlington Quarry, Oxfordshire. Pic: Ollie Cavey
Watford. Pic: Tom Carroll
Near Hardy’s Monument, Dorchester, Dorset. Pic: Sam Williams
Somerton, north Oxfordshire
High Wycombe
High Wycombe
Watford
Windsor
And, here are some pictures of the display last night from across the world
Near Kroschel, Minnesota, US. Pic: AP
Above the village of Daillens, Switzerland. Pic: AP
Schierke, northern Germany. Pic: AP
Over a farmhouse in Brunswick, Maine, US. Pic: AP
Over lake near Szczytno, Poland. Pic: Reuters
A police officer has been shot in the leg with a crossbow during an incident in High Wycombe.
Police say the incident took place as the officer was responding to reports of a man in his 60s suffering a stab wound in the Buckinghamshire town.
A 54-year-old man, from High Wycombe, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
Thames Valley Police say he has been taken to hospital under police supervision with potentially life-changing injuries after he was shot by an armed police officer.
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Metcalfe said: “Police officers attended and one was shot in the leg with a crossbow. He was taken to hospital but has since been discharged.
“Our thoughts are with the injured officer and we are doing everything to support him and his colleagues, as well as all others affected by the incident within the force.
“The assault victim has also been taken to hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries. Our thoughts are with him as well.”
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Northern Lights visible in England and Wales
He continued: “We are not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident at this time.
“There is a large police presence in the area as a result but there is no ongoing threat to the wider public. Anyone with concerns should speak to a uniformed police officer.”
The force has made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct over the incident.
No deportation flights to Rwanda will take off under a Labour government, Sir Keir Starmer has told Sky News.
The Labour leader told Sky News political editor Beth Rigby “there’ll be no flights” as he wants to “scrap the scheme”, which aims to send asylum seekers entering the UK illegally from a safe country, such as France, to Rwanda.
Earlier in the day Sir Keir confirmed Labour wanted to get rid of the Conservatives’ flagship scheme to reduce illegal immigration but a party spokesman said they would not stop flights already planned.
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Starmer sets out small boats plan
But Sir Keir told Sky News: “There’ll be no flights. I want to scrap the scheme so that means the flights won’t be going.
“There will be no flights scheduled or taking off after the general election if Labour wins that general election.
“No flights, no Rwanda scheme, it’s a gimmick, it’s very expensive, it won’t work.”
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Migrants arrive in Dover
Sir Keir earlier announced his plan to tackle small boat crossings, which also included a new Border Security Command with “hundreds of specialist investigators”, new counter-terrorism powers to target people smugglers, hopes for a new Europol partnership and a rules-based asylum system.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called Sir Keir’s plan “rank hypocrisy” and said everything the Labour leader announced today “are all things that we’re already doing”.
“Punching through the backlog, having more law enforcement officers do more, that’s all happening already,” he said.
“We’ve announced all of that more than a year ago. The question for Keir Starmer if he cares so much about that, why did he vote against the new laws that we passed to give our law enforcement officers new powers?
“They’ve now used those to arrest almost 8,000 people connected with illegal migration, sentenced them to hundreds of years in prison.
“And if it was up to him, all those people would be out on our streets so I think it’s rank hypocrisy of his position.”
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Sir Keir revealed Labour’s plan at a speech in Dover alongside his newest MP, Natalie Elphicke, who defected from the Conservatives.
Her defection has been met with outrage by some Labour MPs as she was seen to be on the right of the Tory Party, especially with her views on immigration.
She also faced criticism for supporting her ex-husband, former Dover MP Charlie Elphicke, after he was convicted of sexually assaulting two women. She has now apologised for supporting him.
Sir Keir said accepting Mrs Elphicke into the party shows it has changed and shows how the Conservatives are “no longer the party that can take our country forward”.
Sir Keir said Natalie Elphicke’s defection shows the Tories are no longer the party to govern. Pic: PA
Asked if he was ruthless, he said: “Yes, I’m ruthless in trying to ensure we have a Labour government who can change this country for the better.
“Not ruthless for my own ambition, not ruthlessness particularly for the Labour Party.
“I’m ruthless for the country.”
He added that the only way to bring about change in the UK is “if we’re ruthless about winning the general election and putting in place a government of public service”.
The latest polling, carried out by Survation and published on 9 May, has Labour winning the next general election with a landslide victory of 486 seats – 45% of the vote, with the Tories 19 points behind on 26%.
Taking an average of the most recent polls from each major pollster, Labour is set to win with 43.5% of the vote, with the Tories taking 23.5% and the Liberal Democrats 9.7%.
Sir Keir said he does not know if he can win a majority but he hopes so.
In May 2023 he ruled out any sort of deal with the SNP if he did not win a majority but would not rule out a deal with the Liberal Democrats.
On Friday he said: “I’m ruling out any sort of deal with the SNP before or after the election.
“Am I going for a majority Labour government? Yes, I am.
“That depends on whether we can earn the trust and confidence of voters across the country.”
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
When pushed on whether he would do a deal with the Lib Dems, he again refused to rule it out, saying: “I’m going for a majority.
“That’s the answer I gave you two years, a year ago, it’s the same answer I gave you then.”
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