Liverpool hospital bomber had grievance against UK after asylum claim failed

02 October 2023 , 13:08

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Liverpool hospital bomber had grievance against UK after asylum claim failed

A man who detonated a bomb outside Liverpool Women's Hospital had a grievance against the British state for failing to accept his asylum claim, a police investigation has found.

Emad Al Swealmeen, who died in the attack, left the bomb in a taxi driven by David Perry who managed to survive by running from the burning car. The police investigation found Al Swealmeen, who held no “extremism views of any kind” constructed the device himself.

The investigation found that the grievance, combined with his mental ill health, is likely to have led him to carry out the attack

DS Andy Meeks, of counter terror police, outlined the details of the bombing investigation findings, at Merseyside Police HQ today. He told the hearing that the bomb was “inherently unstable” and it is highly likely it detonated prematurely. CCTV of the moments before the explosion and the explosion itself were shown to those present.

Dramatic image showing a taxi ablaze minutes after the attack (ENTERPRISE NEWS AND PICTURES)

Emad Al Swealmeen manufactured an improvised explosive device with “murderous intent”, the coroner ruled (Liverpool Echo)

It showed taxi driver David Perry jumping out of his vehicle moments before with the bomber, Al Swealmeen still inside the car. DS Meeks told the hearing Al Swealmeen constructed his device at an address in Rutland Avenue, Liverpool. It contained several hundred ball bearings. Photos were shown pictures of strike marks on the wall of the hospital. Police believe the device only partially detonated.

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Al Swealmeen had travelled to the UK from Jordan on April 30, 2014. He had claimed he wanted to travel to the UK to watch a recording of Britain's Got Talent. He claimed asylum six days after arriving in the UK but when he was interviewed he falsely claimed to be Jordanian. He was later assessed to be Iraqi and his asylum claim was rejected.

DS Meeks told the hearing Al Swealmeen had mental health issues and took an overdose in August 2015. Earlier, in February, he had been arrested after being found wandering the street with a knife and trying to jump over a motorway flyover and was sectioned.

Kelly-Ann Mills