Clapham chemical attacker took his own life - inquest

Abdul Ezedi was seen on CCTV with a facial injury after the attack

Chemical attacker Abdul Ezedi took his own life and drowned within hours after carrying out an attack on a woman and two girls, a coroner has ruled.

His body was pulled from the River Thames three weeks after his former girlfriend was doused with a corrosive liquid.

Police believe Ezedi, 35, from the Newcastle area, threw a chemical over the woman and her children aged eight and three, before fleeing, on 31 January.

The older child was injured by the substance and Ezedi slammed the younger's head on the ground.

Senior Coroner Mary Hassell ruled at Poplar Coroner's Court that Ezedi, who was found just beneath Chelsea Bridge, died from suicide and drowned.

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."

Convicted of a sexual offence

Ezedi was traced in the following hours after using his bank card to travel on the Tube before walking a route that broadly followed the banks of the River Thames.

He was last seen on CCTV leaning over London's Chelsea Bridge.

A post-mortem examination carried out in February confirmed his cause of death as drowning.

It emerged Ezedi was convicted of a sexual offence in 2018 and given a suspended sentence.

He was later granted asylum after two failed attempts, after a priest confirmed he had converted to Christianity.