Clapham chemical assault suspect seemingly ‘plunged from Chelsea bridge into the Thames’, say police

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Detectives searching the Clapham chemical assault suspect imagine he plunged into the River Thames from Chelsea Bridge, the place he was final seen leaning over the railings.

The Metropolitan Police stated their “important working speculation” is that Abdul Ezedi entered the fast-moving river, hours after he allegedly doused his former accomplice and her two kids with corrosive liquid.

The police used CCTV to trace the suspect’s final identified actions to Chelsea Bridge, the place he was final seen at 11.30pm final Wednesday.

Over the approaching days, boats will begin looking out the river at low tide, however officers admitted recovering any stays might take months and his physique might by no means be discovered.

In a briefing at Scotland Yard on Friday, Commander Jon Savell stated: “We’ve got spent the final 24 hours meticulously following the CCTV, and it’s our important working speculation that he’s now gone into the water.

“We’ve got checked out all the accessible cameras and angles, and with the help of Transport for London and CCTV from buses that had been travelling over the bridge on the related time, and there’s no sighting of him coming off the bridge.”

Following the horrific assault, which left the sufferer, 31, with life-changing accidents, officers tracked Ezedi to Tower Hill, the place he received off an underground prepare and continued on foot for round 4 miles.

However his behaviour “visibly modifications” as soon as he reaches Chelsea Bridge – the place is seen pacing up and down earlier than he pauses and leans over the railings, Detective Superintendent Rick Sewart stated.

“He’s walked with objective, however has primarily hugged the Thames river line. When he has received to the realm of Chelsea Bridge, his behaviour visibly seems to vary in a lot as he walked up and down the bridge – he pauses within the midpoint of the bridge, midway down the bridge.

“Then he walked to and from the facet of the bridge and might be seen to form of lean over the railings earlier than there’s a lack of sight.”

Requested if officers imagine Ezedi is lifeless, Det Supt Sewart responded: “We’re ready to say that he’s gone into the water and if he’s gone into the water that’s the most possible consequence.”

It was additionally revealed that detectives had commissioned a Nationwide Crime Company behavioural scientist to analyse Ezedi’s manner within the CCTV footage.

“I wouldn’t like to enter the precise particulars however they’ve form of stated what you’d anticipate them to say fairly frankly, which is he’s dedicated an horrific assault. And that that’s it’s potential that he might have taken his personal life given the circumstances,” Det Supt Sewart stated.

“Presently of yr, the Thames may be very quick flowing, very extensive and filled with a number of snags. It’s fairly seemingly that if he has gone within the water, he gained’t seem for possibly as much as a month and it’s not past chance that he might by no means truly floor,” Commander Savell stated.

Nonetheless detectives confirmed the investigation continues to be lively and they’re nonetheless pursuing different traces of enquiry as they examine the assault.

The key replace comes following a nine-day manhunt for the suspect, 31, who can also be thought to have suffered main accidents to the suitable facet of his face throughout the assault.

Officers raided two addresses linked to Ezedi in Newcastle within the early hours of Thursday. In whole eight warrants have been executed up to now, three of which with armed officers.

Ezedi got here to the UK hidden in a lorry in 2016, and was turned down twice for asylum earlier than efficiently interesting towards the House Workplace rejection by claiming he had transformed to Christianity.

He was convicted of two sexual offences in 2018 however was allowed to remain within the UK as a result of his crimes weren’t critical sufficient to fulfill the brink for deportation.

A tribunal choose is known to have dominated in favour of his asylum declare in 2020 after a retired Baptist church minister confirmed he had transformed to Christianity, reportedly describing Ezedi as “wholly dedicated” to his new faith.

The girl harm within the assault, who might lose the sight in her proper eye, stays sedated in hospital and continues to be too ailing to talk to police.