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Woman found beheaded in Edmonton, north London Woman found beheaded in north London named as Palmira Silva
(about 3 hours later)
A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after officers found a woman who had reportedly been beheaded in the back garden of a home in a London suburb. A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after police officers found a woman who had reportedly been beheaded in broad daylight in the back garden of a home in a London suburb.
The victim was found at an address on Nightingale Road, Edmonton, north London, just after 1pm on Thursday. The victim, named by police as Palmira Silva, 82, was found at an address on Nightingale Road, Edmonton, north London, just after 1pm on Thursday.
Residents described scenes of terror and panic as the suspect armed with a knife or machete went on the rampage, with armed officers rushing to the area.
Police said a man had run through back gardens armed with a weapon, with officers smashing windows to evacuate terrified residents to stop them being attacked. They risked their lives and also "distracted" the man so he did not harm anyone else.
Firearms officers were sent to the scene and one officer was injured, suffering a broken wrist, during the detention of a 25-year-old man.Firearms officers were sent to the scene and one officer was injured, suffering a broken wrist, during the detention of a 25-year-old man.
The Metropolitan police said officers had fired a Taser, which directs an electric current at a suspect police want to subdue, during the incident. The Metropolitan police said he was arrested after being cornered in a house and that officers had fired a Taser during the incident.
Police said they were called at 1.07pm to reports of a man armed with a knife. "On arrival officers found a woman, no further details at this stage, collapsed in a garden area. She was pronounced dead at the scene." Police said they were called at 1.07pm to reports of a man armed with a knife who was attacking either a cat or a dog. "On arrival they found a woman, no further details at this stage, collapsed in a garden area. She was pronounced dead at the scene."
Officers were still trying to locate all the woman's next of kin and would not confirm the injuries suffered or the weapon or weapons used to inflict them. Officers said the woman's next of kin had been notified, adding that detectives believe she was of Italian descent. Police would not confirm the injuries suffered, or the weapon or weapons used to inflict them.
Paramedics called to the scene immediately realised the victim was dead, such was the severity of her wounds. London ambulance service had dispatched the air ambulance to the scene in the hope that her life could be saved. Paramedics called to the scene immediately realised the victim was dead, such was the severity of her wounds.
The incident, coming two days after video of a terrorist beheading of a US journalist gained widespread media coverage, sparked speculation as to its cause. The incident came two days after video of a terrorist beheading of a US journalist gained widespread media coverage. However, the attack on the woman is not believed by police to be terrorist-related.
However, the attack on the woman is not believed by police to be terrorist-related and hours on from the incident specialist counter-terrorism officers were not involved in the inquiry, which they would be if violent extremism was suspected as a causal factor in the attack. A neighbour said she believed the apparent attacker, whom she saw carrying a machete-like knife in a back garden, was a local man. "I've seen him around here a lot. I don't know where he lives but I've seen him here, with what look like family or friends," said Freda Odame, 30.
A long stretch of Nightingale Road, a long, mainly residential street, was closed off by police, causing a significant tailback of traffic. Odame said she was about to go to sleep just after 1pm when she heard shouting and banging from behind the house. "I opened my curtains and I saw a man with a knife a few gardens down," she said. "He was screaming – I couldn't hear any words – and looked frantic. You could see he seemed aggressive."
Behind the cordon, on a section of the road lined with 1930s terraced houses, police guarded the front of one home, while others stood around a white van. A police helicopter hovered overhead. The man was waving the weapon, which she described as long and curved, around the grass, "as if he was looking for something on the floor", she added.
One man who lives in a house near the apparent killing said he was roused by police at about 12.30pm while shaving. The man was black, in his 20s, of stocky build and dressed in a black T-shirt and black trousers, she said. "I was shaking. I drew the curtains straightaway in case he saw me, and called for my husband."
"There was a big knock on the front door with uniformed police standing outside," said Dennis Lattimor, 78. Within five minutes police arrived at the house and evacuated them, she said.
"They as good as dragged me away down the street, saying there was a dangerous man on the loose. I didn't even have time to put a shirt on – I had to borrow one from someone." Resident Lauren Perkins, said she was left shocked by what she saw: "I was walking down the road when I saw a man with a big knife walking down the street.
Lattimor said he had lived on the road for 43 years but did not currently know many neighbours. "A lot of the houses are rented, so there's a lot of turnover of people," he said. "Then I saw some police come down and they told me to get off the road."
Officers at the scene said it was possible the stretch of road could be sealed off overnight. George Stutianou, who was working on a nearby house when the attack happened, said: "There were so many police here, there must have been about 30 cars.
"I saw some police smashing the doors and the windows of three houses either side to get women and children out. We were in the road and two policemen were running as fast as they could towards us, shouting at us to run and get out off the street. We just didn't know what was going on."
Commander Simon Letchford said: "What we do know is that this male has gone along a number of the back gardens of this premises.
"Officers who attended the scene have evacuated a number of those people from those premises to make them safe.
"During that period they distracted the man from carrying out any further attacks."
Letchford praised the bravery of officers saying they had "put themselves in extreme danger to protect the public".
The suspect was taken to hospital after suffering injuries during his arrest.
Behind the cordon, on a section of the road lined with 1930s terraced houses, police guarded the front of one home, while others stood around a white van.
Police said nothing had emerged suggesting that the victim knew her attacker and said they had recovered a weapon, though they would not confirm residents' reports that it was a machete.
Residents said they had been told to evacuate by police as pandemonium erupted.
Muhammed Yusuf said police knocked on the door: "They just said 'You've got to get out of the house'."
His son Ahmed, 19, said: "At first there were two police cars, then all of a sudden there were 20. The police said to drop everything. I said 'What's going on?' and they said there's a guy jumping over gardens."
May Yapp, a retired clerical officer, said: "My husband was working in the garden and he called and said come and have a look. We saw a lot of policeman and a helicopter. They smashed a window. We were shocked."
Dennis Lattimor, 78, told how he was roused by police: "There was a big knock on the front door with uniformed police standing outside. They as good as dragged me away down the street, saying there was a dangerous man on the loose. I didn't even have time to put a shirt on – I had to borrow one from someone."
Another man who lives near the scene said he learned from other neighbours that a man carrying a machete had been seen in a series of back gardens on the road before the killing.Another man who lives near the scene said he learned from other neighbours that a man carrying a machete had been seen in a series of back gardens on the road before the killing.
"My neighbour, who works nights, said she was woken by noise from a man in her back garden. He had a machete," said Isik Saban."My neighbour, who works nights, said she was woken by noise from a man in her back garden. He had a machete," said Isik Saban.
Other neighbours said the man was seen in three or four other gardens on the road, he said. The rear of the homes are accessible using a small alley, Saban added.Other neighbours said the man was seen in three or four other gardens on the road, he said. The rear of the homes are accessible using a small alley, Saban added.
DCI John Sandlin, who is leading the investigation, said: "This was a highly visible attack in broad daylight on a residential street. I can understand why this may cause people concern. However, we are confident that we are not looking for anyone else at this stage.DCI John Sandlin, who is leading the investigation, said: "This was a highly visible attack in broad daylight on a residential street. I can understand why this may cause people concern. However, we are confident that we are not looking for anyone else at this stage.
"Whilst it is too early to speculate on what the motive behind this attack was I am confident, based on the information currently available to me, that it is not terrorist-related. "While it is too early to speculate on what the motive behind this attack was, I am confident, based on the information currently available to me, that it is not terrorist-related.
"Local officers and specialist detectives are at the scene and will remain there for many hours to come. The Met added: "A 25-year-old man was detained by firearms officers near the scene of the incident. He was arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody.One firearms officer was injured during the course of the arrest, believed to be suffering from a broken wrist. A Taser was discharged by officers."
"Specially trained family liaison officers will be deployed to support the family; we request that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time."
The Met added: "A 25-year-old man was detained by firearms officers near the scene of the incident. He was arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody. One firearms officer was injured during the course of the arrest, believed to be suffering from a broken wrist. Taser was discharged by officers."