Inquest hears of final moments of Clapham chemical attacker Abdul Ezedi after police manhunt

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Chemical attacker Abdul Ezedi took his own life and drowned within hours of attacking a woman and two young girls, a coroner has ruled.

Police had begun hunting for the 35-year-old pizza delivery worker after the incident in Clapham, south London, at 7.30pm on January 31. His body was found in the River Thames on February 19.

Senior Coroner Mary Hassell ruled that Ezedi, whose body was found beneath Chelsea Bridge, died from suicide and drowned.

She told the inquest at Poplar Coroner’s Court in east London: “The circumstances surrounding his death are clear in part.

“The evidence of the Metropolitan Police Service is that he is likely to have entered the River Thames at Chelsea Bridge at approximately 11.30pm. It seems likely to me that he drowned almost immediately and, although he was not found until February 19 2024, I will put his death as January 31.”

Ruling out the possibility that Ezedi was pushed or fell into the water by accident, the coroner said: “Given the circumstances, including what happened in the day, I think that it is likely that he jumped into the water, and I think it is likely that he did so with the intention of ending his life.”

A huge manhunt saw detectives track Ezedi’s final movements along the river on CCTV.

Clapham chemical attacker Abdul Ezedi took his own life and drowned within hours of attacking a woman and two young girls, a coroner has ruled (Metropolitan Police/PA) (PA Wire)

It came after his former girlfriend was doused with a corrosive chemical in an attack on her and her daughters, aged eight and three, in Clapham.

Police believe Ezedi, from the Newcastle area, threw a strong alkali substance over the woman, some of which also injured one of the children, and slammed the three-year-old’s head on the ground in the attack on January 31.

He then fled the scene and initially used his bank card to travel on the Tube before walking a route that broadly hugged the banks of the River Thames in the following hours.

Timeline of Ezedi’s movements on Wednesday, 31 January

• 00:15 – Ezedi’s vehicle is seen in Newcastle
• 06:30 – His vehicle is then seen traveling into Tooting, London
• 16:30 – A further sighting of his vehicle is confirmed in Croydon
• 19:00 – He is then seen driving in Streatham
• 19:25 – Attack takes place in Lessar Avenue, SW4, before Ezedi makes off in his vehicle which crashes nearby. He leaves the car and runs off.
• 19:33 – Ezedi boards a train at Clapham South Tube Station.
• 19:59 – He is then seen leaving that train at King’s Cross Tube Station.
• 20:42 – He is then seen on CCTV leaving Tesco at 21 Caledonian Rd, London N1 9DX. He exits and turns right.
• 21:00 - Ezedi enters King’s Cross Tube Station and boards a Victoria Line tube southbound.
• 21:10 – He gets off at Victoria Tube Station and heads towards the district line.
• 21:16 – Ezedi boards an eastbound District Line train.
• 21:33 – Ezedi exits Tower Hill Tube Station.
• 21:47 - He is seen on Allhallows Lane, EC3. He travels through a passage to Cousin Lane. Then he turns right, walking towards Upper Thames Street.
• 21:51 - He then turns left onto Upper Thames Street
• 21:54 – He travels along Upper Thames Street
• 21:59 – Ezedi passes the City of London School on Pauls Walk, EC4, heading towards Blackfriars Bridge. He passes the riverboat pier.
• 22:04 – He then passes the Unilever building and heads towards Victoria Embankment.
• 22:06 – Ezedi passes Carmelite House, junction with Carmelite Street towards Temple.22:28 - He passes Westminster Pier, goes up steps and continues towards Westminster.22:33 - Ezedi seen walking south on Westminster bridge
• 22:36– He walks across Westminster Bridge, down steps on the London Eye side towards Lambeth
• 22:42– Ezedi seen walking west on south Thames Path towards Lambeth Bridge
• 22:55– He travels along the Albert Embankment approaching Vauxhall Bridge
• 23:00– Ezedi crosses Vauxhall Bridge towards stairs (Houses of Parliament side of the river)
• 23:03 - He crosses Vauxhall Bridge Road, into Grosvenor Road.
• 23:10 – Ezedi walks west bound past the Shell petrol station
• 23:19 - He passes the Thames Water Building, Grosvenor Road, heading towards Chelsea Bridge
• 23:25 – He crosses over Chelsea Bridge and enters Battersea Park. (image released today)
• 23:27 - He crosses back over Chelsea Bridge towards the north side.