Mapped: Last movements of Clapham attack suspect and where he was found
Body believed to be Abdul Ezedi’s was spotted by passing boat crew near Tower Pier
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A body believed to be Clapham chemical attack suspect Abdul Ezedi has been found in the River Thames, three weeks after a dozen people were injured in the incident.
The Metropolitan Police recovered the body from the water near Tower Pier in central London on Monday after it was spotted by the crew of a passing boat.
The hunt for Ezedi began on 31 January, the same day an alkaline substance was thrown over a 31-year-old mother and two children in the east of the city.
The suspect’s route along the Thames was caught at multiple points on CCTV, as he fled west in the hours after the attack.
Ezedi was seen hugging the river between 9.47pm and 11.33pm, crossing a number of bridges including Vauxhall Bridge, Westminster Bridge and Chelsea Bridge.
CCTV images from a Tesco, where he bought a bottle of water, showed him with severe burn marks down the right side of his face.
This map shows the route he took, and where the body was found 19 days later.
At around 4pm on Monday, the crew of a passing boat reported they had seen a body in the water at Tower Pier. The body was recovered by the Met’s Marine Policing Unit and has been viewed by detectives working on the ongoing investigation.
Commander Jon Savell said: “Based on the distinctive clothing he was wearing at the time of the attack and property found on his body, we strongly believe we have recovered the body of Ezedi. We have been in contact with his family to pass on the news.
“As you may expect after a considerable period of time in the strong current of the Thames, formal identification is not possible visually, nor from fingerprints. We will work with the coroner on other ways to complete formal identification, such as DNA testing and dental records. That may take some time.
”Our enquiries continue into the attack. I am pleased to say the condition of the 31-year-old woman has improved. She remains in hospital but she is 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.
”Again, I thank all those hundreds of members of the public who called us with information during the hunt for Ezedi. The public support for our investigation was overwhelming and every piece of information provided was followed up.”
Ezedi, who was in a relationship with his victim, was originally from Afghanistan. It has since emerged that he was convicted of a sexual offence in 2018, for which he was given a suspended sentence at Newcastle Crown Court.
The Crown Prosecution Service has confirmed he was sentenced on 9 January of that year after pleading guilty to one charge of sexual assault and one of exposure. Ezedi was put on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.
He was then granted asylum in the UK in 2021 or 2022. He had been refused asylum twice before, but was granted leave to remain.