Advertisement

Body pulled from Thames was chemical attack suspect

London police have confirmed a body they pulled from the River Thames is that of Abdul Ezedi, a man wanted over a chemical attack that injured his former partner and her two young daughters.

London police have confirmed a body they pulled from the River Thames is that of Abdul Ezedi, a man wanted over a chemical attack that injured his former partner and her two young daughters. Photo: AAP

London police have confirmed a body they pulled from the River Thames is that of Abdul Ezedi, a man wanted over a chemical attack that injured his former partner and her two young daughters.

The Metropolitan Police said his body was formally identified on Thursday and that his family has been informed of this development.

The force also said that a post-mortem has confirmed his cause of death as drowning.

“As the public would expect, our inquiries continue into this atrocious attack,” Commander Jon Savell said.

“The 31-year-old woman is still in hospital and remains in a stable condition and no longer sedated. We have still not been able to speak to her but hope to as soon as she is well enough.”

Police launched a manhunt for Ezedi after the attack in the Clapham area of south London on January 31 in which the mother-of-two was doused with a corrosive alkali.

Some of the chemical injured her eight-year-old daughter, while the three-year-old had her head slammed into the ground.

Images of Ezedi soon after showed he had significant injuries to the right side of his face but his whereabouts were unknown.

On February 9, the Met said they believed Ezedi had probably “gone into the water” after piecing together closed-circuit television footage of his movements after the attack.

The Met said the crew of a passing boat reported seeing a body in the water near the Tower of London on Monday afternoon and that they believed it was Ezedi.

Local media reported that Ezedi is an Afghan refugee who was granted asylum despite being convicted of a sex offence in the United Kingdom in 2018.

His asylum application was initially rejected but he later was permitted to remain in the UK after claiming that he had converted to Christianity, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported.

—AAP

Advertisement
Stay informed, daily
A FREE subscription to The New Daily arrives every morning and evening.
The New Daily is a trusted source of national news and information and is provided free for all Australians. Read our editorial charter.
Copyright © 2024 The New Daily.
All rights reserved.