Images released of two possible witnesses who may hold ‘vital’ information over Mussie Imnetu’s death near Notting Hill Carnival
Police have released images of two possible witnesses they want to speak to as part of the investigation into the death of a top chef near Notting Hill Carnival.
Mussie Imnetu, who had worked under celebrity chefs Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Wareing, was found unconscious with a brain injury on Queensway, west London, at around 11.22pm on Monday 26 August.
The 41-year-old received medical attention at the scene outside the Dr Power restaurant before being taken to hospital, where he died on Friday 30 August.
Omar Wilson, 31, had been arrested two days after the attack and charged with causing grievous bodily harm, but this was changed to murder following Mr Imnetu’s death.
He is due to stand trial at the Old Bailey in February.
During a short hearing at the same court in September, the prosecution alleged Wilson “headbutted” Mr Imnetu after the two interacted “in the area” of the carnival.
Around 70 seconds later, Wilson, from Leytonstone, allegedly “punched the deceased five times to his head” and continued “punching him to the head” after he fell to the floor, the prosecution added.
Wilson has pleaded not guilty to murder.
At an earlier hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, the prosecution said Mr Imnetu had suffered catastrophic brain injuries, bleeding on the brain and multiple cardiac arrests.
Mussie Imnetu. Pic: Metropolitan Police
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Crime Command have released images of two possible witnesses as they “continue to build a picture of exactly what happened” to Mr Imnetu.
Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, who is leading the investigation, said the force would “like to stress that the two men pictured have not done anything wrong”.
He added: “We need to speak to two men who were near the Dr Power restaurant in Queensway between 23.10hrs and 23.30hrs on Monday, 26 August and who we believe may hold vital information.
“If you are one of these men, or if you know one of them, we’d like to hear from you.
“We’d also still like to hear from anyone else who has information and hasn’t yet spoken to us.”
The move comes after police released images of 16 people they were keen to speak to a few days after Mr Imnetu’s death. The force said none of those pictured had done anything wrong but could have held information that was important to the investigation.
Mr Imnetu leaving the Arts Club in Mayfair on the day of the attack. Pic: Metropolitan Police
Mr Imnetu, a Swedish national, had been visiting the UK on business from Dubai where he lived, the Metropolitan Police said.
He was the head chef of The Brasserie at The Arts Club Dubai, which said on its website he “hails from Eritrea and grew up in Sweden before taking positions in London and New York”.
The website also said he had worked under Ramsay and Wareing, as well as renowned chef Alain Ducasse.
An amber warning has been issued for snow in a part of the UK, likely to cause travel delays and “stranding some vehicles and passengers”.
The warning, which covers south west England, also warns some rural communities could become cut off and is in place until 2pm this evening.
Pic: Met Office
There is also a yellow weather warning for snow covering the southern counties of England until midnight on Wednesday.
The warning stretches from Kent to Cornwall and up to south London and the Met Office said between 2cm and 5cm of snow could accumulate fairly widely, with as much as 10cm over higher ground.
This week is expected to see the coldest nights of the year, with temperatures potentially reaching -14C on Wednesday night and -16C on Thursday night, both in the North East of England and Scotland, the Met Office said.
Weather warnings issued on Tuesday for snow and ice covering the parts of Wales, the North West of England, west and northern parts of Scotland as well as Northern Ireland will remain in place until midnight tomorrow.
The forecaster said some roads and railways are likely to be affected and there could be icy patches on untreated roads.
Pics: AP
Meanwhile the Environment Agency has said at least 300 properties have flooded across England since New Year’s Eve. It estimates more than 41,000 properties have been protected.
Heavy rainfall over the New Year caused significant river and surface water flooding across the North West of England and Yorkshire and snowmelt has brought further disruption to parts of England, particularly the Midlands, the agency said.
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Man says flooding ‘came out of nowhere’
Floods minister Emma Hardy said: “My sympathies go out to the people, businesses and communities impacted by the recent flooding across the country.
“I want to express my heartfelt thanks for the vital work that the Environment Agency and emergency services are doing to keep people safe. People must continue to follow their advice and sign up for flood warnings.”
Flood warnings
Some 100 flood warnings were in force across England on Wednesday, with people urged to remain vigilant over the coming days.
A danger-to-life warning was issued on Tuesday morning for the River Soar near Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire, but was later removed.
People living in caravan parks in the area were urged by the Environment Agency to act, with a large-scale evacuation needed to save lives.
Firefighters have rescued dozens of people across Leicestershire since Monday, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said.
Hundreds of schools were closed across the UK, with road and rail links blocked, as Manchester, Bristol and Liverpool John Lennon airports suspended flights because of the conditions.
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