Liverpool bomber’s friends at Emmanuel Church struggling to believe his actions

“We as his friends are struggling to put together the man that we experienced and the action that he took.”
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Friends of Emad Al Swealmeen, or Enzo as he was known to them, say it came as a shock to discover he was involved in the Liverpool Women's Hospital bombing.

Al Swealmeen died when his homemade bomb blew up the taxi he was in outside the hospital shortly before 11:00 on Remembrance Sunday.

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The Iraq-born 32-year-old was a Christian convert who reportedly arrived in the UK in 2014 and applied for asylum - though this had repeatedly been rejected.

He attended Emmanuel Church in Fazakerley from 2017 to 2019.

What fellow parishioners say about him

Kate Hindley from Emmanuel Church said: "He was quite a quiet person, a little bit reserved, but not in any way that would seem unusual, just friendly, he would share a cup of tea with anybody, old and young alike.

“He settled in well with our men's group, had some good friendships there, and was just part of all that was going on. He was happy to serve teas and coffees, baked cakes for us to try and taste and kindly brought them to share on a Sunday.

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"Certainly, we as his friends are struggling to put together the man that we experienced and the action that he took."

The latest update from police

Counter-Terrorism detectives leading the investigation into the incident have now formally identified Al Swealmeen as the bomber and have located a relative who they are interviewing.

Al Swealmeen had lived at the Sutcliffe Street address in Kensington raided by police in the wake of Sunday’s car explosion for some time.

He had recently rented another address on Rutland Avenue, were bomb-making parts and “significant items” were recovered by police.

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Police say that both addresses continue to be searched, and significant items have been found at each one.

Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson of Counter-Terrorism Police North West said: “I extend my thanks to the community for their continued patience and co-operation throughout this investigation, and we will continue to provide updates as often as we can."

Police continue to appeal for people who knew Al Swealmeen, especially those who associated with him this year, as they continue their investigation into the events leading up to the incident on Sunday and the reasons behind it.

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