Abdul Ezedi, the suspect in a horrifying chemical attack in Clapham, was found to have committed suicide by drowning in the River Thames shortly after the assault on January 31. The conclusion comes after his body was discovered on February 19, following extensive searches and analysis of CCTV footage tracing his last movements.
At approximately 7:30 PM on January 31, Ezedi attacked his ex-girlfriend and her two daughters, ages eight and three, by throwing oven cleaners on them. The assault occurred in South London and also involved a physical attack on the three-year-old, whom Ezedi slammed onto the ground. After the attack, Ezedi fled the scene, leading to a substantial manhunt by the authorities.
Senior Coroner Mary Hassell, presiding over the inquest at Poplar Coroner’s Court, ruled that Ezedi died from suicide, stating he likely entered the Thames at Chelsea Bridge around 11:30 PM the same night. “It seems likely to me that he drowned almost immediately,” Hassell noted, confirming that there was no evidence to suggest Ezedi was pushed or that it was an accidental fall.
CCTV footage showed Ezedi at King’s Cross Underground Station shortly after the attack and later walking along Upper Thames Street, without any indications of other individuals influencing his actions at the time of his death.
This tragic sequence of events followed a troubled history for Ezedi, who entered the UK hidden in a lorry in 2016. After being denied asylum twice, he successfully appealed on the grounds of his conversion to Christianity. In 2018, Ezedi was convicted of two sexual offences and received a suspended sentence along with an unpaid work order from Newcastle Crown Court.
The attack has left the community and Ezedi’s family grappling with the consequences of his actions and his subsequent death. The Metropolitan Police and local support groups are providing assistance to the victims of the January attack, focusing on their physical recovery and psychological care.
