Sword-wielding Hainault ‘killer’ trapped me but I escaped – I tried to warn boy, 14, but it was too late to save him
A SWORD-wielding alleged attacker trapped a woman before he went on to “kill” a 14-year-old boy.
Five people including two police officers fell victim to a terrifying frenzy in Hainault on Tuesday morning when a suspect, 36, prowled the streets with a “Samurai sword”.
One witness has since recalled trying to warn the teen boy, who onlookers say was in school uniform, moments before he was tragically slashed.
Aiste Dabasinskaaite had just left her home when the man in a yellow hoodie approached her after ploughing his vehicle into another property.
She said he asked her for an address before moving “closer towards me” and brandishing the weapon.
Speaking to ITV, Aiste said: “He put his foot on my foot so I couldn’t back off and then that’s when he like drew out the sword.
“It was arm’s length. It was honestly petrifying. I just ran down the road, I didn’t even look back to see if he was chasing me.”
As she fled from the suspected attacker’s grip, Aiste noticed the schoolboy leave his home and put headphones in.
- The alleged sword manic yelled ‘do you believe in God?’ as he lunged at targets
- Horrified witnesses said the teenage boy was covered in blood and ‘never stood a chance’
- Locals named the boy as Joshua and said he came from a Nigerian family
- Police chased the attacker through gardens before he was floored by three Tasers
- A 36-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder
- He was injured when he crashed his Ford van at a pedestrians into a house
- Cops ruled out terrorism and are examining the suspect’s background
- Two officers were injured trying to restrain the man
Petrified, she “shouted and waved” at the youngster to warn him, along with another neighbour, but it was too late.
Aiste added: “Because he had his headphones on I don’t think he heard either of us.
“It was sort of a moment where we just went from shouting to just blankness, just felt empty.”
Police chased the alleged attacker through gardens before he was floored by three 50,000-volt Taser bolts.
A 36-year-old man was later arrested on suspicion of murder. The suspect was last night under guard in hospital.
Video shows the moment he was injured when he crashed his Ford van into a house before the carnage in Hainault, North East London.
The clip, shot on a doorbell camera shows the van, slamming into a pedestrian as blood-curdling screams were heard.
The man then got out of the smoking van carrying a 2ft ornamental sword.
He was covered in blood. He never stood a chance
Local
James Fernando, 39, said the suspect had the “massive sword” in one hand and was using a phone with the other asking for the fire brigade.
He said the attacker stepped on a woman neighbour’s foot to stop her moving but she ran.
James added: “As the boy was ten metres from the door, the woman screamed to warn him that the man had a sword.
“As he’s turned round he’s waved the sword and it struck him in the face. He was dead on the spot.”
Another added: “He was covered in blood. He never stood a chance.”
Locals said the boy came from a Nigerian family.
He was said to have attended Bancroft’s School, in Woodford Green, where Nottingham attack victim Grace O’Malley-Kumar, 19, also went.
Petrifying videos from witnesses near Hainault Tube Station, east London, show a man clutching the huge blade and roaming the streets as people “shrieked” in horror.
As cops swarmed to the scene, James said the attacker was still running around with the sword looking for more victims.
Another video clip showed the first police car arriving and the maniac shouting: “Is there anybody here who believes in God?”
Two officers were injured trying to restrain the man. One female officer almost had her hand severed.
This morning Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told LBC one male officer has serious injuries to his hand, while a female colleague was in surgery for several hours yesterday after suffering “horrifically serious” wounds to her arm.
He added: “I was talking to the family and colleagues of the woman officer who has a really badly damaged arm, really seriously damaged, the surgeon spent many hours basically putting her arm back to together.”
Asked about reports she nearly lost her hand in the attack, Sir Mark said they were “not a million miles away”.
Police ruled out terrorism and were examining the suspect’s background to establish a motive.
They said the boy was not known to the attacker.
Met Police said they were called around 7am to reports a vehicle had been driven into a house in the Thurlow Gardens area.
'Hacked down in school uniform'
By Thomas Godfrey
Amanda Trezza, 35, who saw the incident as she walked her son to get a coffee, told The Sun: “I’m very scared about this because I have two children
“I was getting ready to leave home at about 10 minutes to seven to go and get some coffee.
“And then I heard a lot of noises and sirens.
“And my daughter asks me, ‘What’s happening?’
“I looked out of my window and saw a lot of ambulances and bodies.
“After I go with my son to the bus stop. I see on the main road.
“I see the boy the body of the boy being given CPR.
“He was wearing a school uniform with grey trousers and a white shirt.
“I don’t know which school it was for because I couldn’t see the jumper.
“Then I saw an ambulance that was being prepared to take him away. My son saw what they were doing and started crying.
“And then we turned around and went back home.”
Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell yesterday revealed the heartbreaking news that one of the victims has died in hospital.
He said: “It is with great sadness that I confirm that one of those injured in the incident, a 14-year-old boy, has died from their injuries.
“He was taken to hospital after being stabbed and sadly died a short while after.
“The child’s family are being supported firstly by my local officers and now with some specialist officers and everyone across the Met is keeping them in our thoughts at this unimaginably difficult time.”
Commander Bell described the incident as “truly horrific”.
“I cannot even begin to imagine how those affected must be feeling,” he said.
“My thoughts are with the injured, their families and the wider community as we all begin to come to terms with what has happened and try to understand what has happened here.
“I know that there will be clearly and understandably a desire for answers and an explanation to what happened.
“Our investigation is in its very early stages and my officers are working right now to establish the full facts as a priority.”
Commander Bell continued: “I want to confirm at present that we do not believe there is any ongoing threat to the wider public and we’re not seeking any other persons.
“The incident does not appear to be linked to any act of terrorism.
“We do not believe this to be a targeted attack and we are establishing the circumstances at the moment.”
The force is now urging anyone with information to contact 101.
