The police watchdog has launched a probe into contact Met officers had with a mother-of-two before her stalker ex-husband stabbed her to death in a west London street.
Yasmin Wafah Chkaifi, 43, did not survive the horrific attack by her ex-husband Leon Mccaskie, 41, despite the efforts of a motorist who ploughed his blue Renault Clio into the assailant in Maida Vale on Monday morning.
Mccaskie also died and the have-a-go hero was arrested on suspicion of murder before being bailed.
Scotland Yard referred itself to Independent Office for Police Conduct.
The IOPC has decided to open an investigation into contact Ms Chkaifi had with officers before she died.
Ms Chkaifi, a childminder and mature student with two sons aged 16 and 18, confided to friends two years ago that she feared Mccaskie would kill her.
On January 4, an arrest warrant was issued for the former company director when he failed to appear in court accused of breaching an interim stalking protection order.
Ms Chkaifi was concerned her ex would try to kill her after discovering he was spying on her.
In a message to friend Adele-Sara Richards in April 2020, she revealed: “He’s had cameras in my house recording me for months. He’s stolen my mail, my phone, has access to all my personal data. I think he will kill me.”
Speaking for the first time on Thursday, the driver named as “Abraham” called for police to treat him as a witness instead of a suspect.
But Scotland Yard said: “We are investigating the deaths of two people in this incident.
“Two families are bereaved and looking for answers. It is therefore essential that the investigation proceeds in an objective and professional manner.
“As with all investigations into violent deaths, we will gather all the available evidence and this can take time.
“Only when we are satisfied that we have all the facts can we fully understand the circumstances that led to the deaths and consider the most appropriate course of action.”
In a statement issued by solicitor Mohammed Akunjee, Abraham, 26, said: “It was never my intention to harm him, I just wanted to stop him from hurting anybody further. I understand that the police are doing their job and that my being arrested is not unusual.
“However, I do not see why I as the person who tried to assist in the defence of other human beings remains being arrested on bail under suspicion of murder. I have asked my solicitor to contact the Metropolitan Police to request they consider de-arresting me and begin treating me as a witness to a tragic event rather than as a criminal as they currently are.”
Abraham said he was a Muslim of “good character” who had never been arrested before.
Nearly 53,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org demanding that he should not be charged with murder.
Abraham said he saw Ms Chkaifi being stabbed as he waited in traffic on his way to work at about 9am.
“My instant thought was to protect the woman who had been stabbed and the public who were also being threatened,” he said.
“I drove my vehicle towards the attacker in order to get him away from the woman he was attacking. I did not intend to harm the attacker, I only intended to protect those being attacked.
“My vehicle struck the attacker, and he was taken under my car causing it to stall, I could not reverse my car to free him.”
He claimed he and passers-by tried to lift the car off Mccaskie and give him first aid but were ‘unsuccessful’.
“I am deeply sorry that the man I tried to stop from attacking other people has died,” Abraham said.
“My only regret is that God did not allow me to be present sooner so that my intervention may have saved the life of the young woman.”
Ms Chkaifi’s sister told reporters: “The man who killed my sister is a demon. The man who killed him is a hero. He deserves a medal from the Queen.
“There is no way he should go through the justice system for what he did.”
A Met spokesman confirmed the driver “had been fully cooperating” since he was arrested and was bailed until February.
