Poppy Day suicide bomber planned attack for months after starting to buy ingredients for homemade device in April - as police find no evidence he was in terror cell
The suicide bomber who blew himself and a taxi up outside a Liverpool maternity hospital on Remembrance Sunday began building his killer device seven months ago, it was revealed today.
Police have also yet to find any evidence that failed asylum seeker Emad Al Swealmeen, 32, conspired with or was inspired by a terror group, suggesting he was a 'lone wolf' who became radicalised online during lockdown.
One theory is that the bomber was suffering a mental health crisis having been devastated at his continued failure to gain asylum here because the Home Office refused to believe he was Syrian. Today it emerged his next of kin have told police he was born in Iraq.
In an update on the investigation Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North West, said that the pizza chef who converted from Islam to Christianity began renting his flat in Rutland Avenue, Liverpool at around Easter.
ACC Jackson said: 'A complex picture is emerging over the purchases of the component parts of the device, we know that Al Swealmeen rented the property from April this year and we believe relevant purchases have been made at least since that time'.
He added: 'At this time we are not finding any link to others in the Merseyside area of concern but this remains a fast moving investigation and as more becomes known we cannot rule out action against others'.
Police have also yet to find any evidence that failed asylum seeker and pizza chef Emad Al Swealmeen, 32, conspired with or was inspired by a terror group, suggesting he was a 'lone wolf' who became radicalised online during lockdown.
His homemade bomb blew up as he approached the hospital. Experts have suggested it could have been a poorly made Mother of Satan device or even one put together with fireworks
Aerial view of the aftermath of the explosion at the Liverpool Women's Hospital and the burnt out taxi
A forensics officer walks past police officer upon arrival to a property on Rutland Avenue, a flat he rented from April and where he began building his bombOne, who knew Al Swealmeen through his job at a pizza takeaway, said: 'He called himself GT because he loved cars, it was a little nickname he gave himself, he even had it tattooed on his arm.
'He was quiet, but not in a weird way, he was just really shy. I nearly fell off my chair when I saw his picture. Of all the people that worked in the takeaway he would have been bottom of my list to do something so sick.
'He was reserved, but not like he was hiding something, more like he was lacking in confidence. He did speak to me about feeling depressed one time, but didn't really go into it. At the time he lived in a shared house with a few others and all he cared about was go-karting.
'He showed me his helmet that he had bought, he was really excited about it. He went go-karting a few times on his own, he was so into it, and I remember him getting a tattoo and showing it off.
'He also loved Johnny Cash and he told me he wanted to get a Johnny Cash tattoo too.'
Malcolm Hitchcott, 77, a lay pastor and retired Army officer who gave Al Swealmeen a room in his home for eight months in 2017, remembered accompanying him on a trip to the track.
Pictures on social media show him in racing overalls at the karting venue, where he took part in 'Top Gun' marathon karting races and '50-lap' events. 'He got me to sign his helmet, rather like Lewis Hamilton signs helmets [for fans],'
Mr Hitchcott added: 'He never spoke about a particular driver but he loved Ferrari, he was a Ferrari man. His email address was Ferrari-related too. He was very interested in motor racing.'
Al Swealmeen is understood to have ordered a taxi from Rutland Avenue to the Crown Street hospital shortly before 11am on Remembrance Sunday
The indoor facility boasts 40mph karts and several of Liverpool's sporting greats such as Jamie Carragher, Sam Quek and Tony Bellew on its celebrity leaderboard.
But a source said Al Swealmeen had not been to the track for over a year. Last night the businessman who employed Al Swealmeen at his pizza takeaway for several months in around 2016 said he was a 'nice, polite guy'.
'I was shocked when I saw who it was,' the man, who did not want to be named, said.
'I still can't believe it. He was a nice, polite guy. He wasn't a practising Muslim, he told me he lived with a Christian family, and he definitely wasn't a fanatic.
'I've employed Muslims before, some of them don't like touching ham if it isn't Halal, but he didn't seem worried about that.
'He worked part-time for me, he had a visa and was legit. I paid him about £50 a day.
'Never in a million years would I think him capable of something like that.'
The friend agreed Al Swealmeen was not religious.
'He never really talked about religion,' he added.
'I didn't think he practised any faith, although I do remember him telling me one time he had been to church and was trying to get to know people there.
'I would love to know what happened to him over the past few years. He must have been manipulated or corrupted. The man I knew and what he did on Sunday – they are like night and day.'
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