Alice Gross: Former mother-in-law says suspect Arnis Zalkalns was ‘control freak with fierce temper’
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Version 0 of 1. A Latvian builder named by police investigating the disappearance of teenager Alice Gross has been described as a "control freak with a fierce temper" by his former mother-in-law. Arnis Zalkalns, 41, was convicted of bludgeoning and stabbing Rudite Zalkalns to death in Latvia and served seven years in prison for the murder. The general labourer, who works at a building site in Isleworth, west London, is thought to have come to the UK in 2007 after serving his sentence. Ms Zalkalns mother Viktorija told The Daily Mail she was “still angry” about the length of sentence he received. She said: “This was a callous and heartless murder with no remorse. My daughter was trained in karate but she couldn't fight him off. "He prepared my daughter's grave in advance and planted the weapons next to it. Then he tricked her into going with him to a forest." Scotland Yard say they have no evidence any harm has come to Alice, who suffered from anorexia. Zalkalns became a suspect in her disappearance after he was identified in CCTV footage cycling past the same spot where Alice had been seen 15 minutes earlier. He was reported missing by his own family six days after Alice went missing on 28 August. Detectives also revealed that he had been arrested on suspicion of indecently assaulting a 14-year-old girl in 2009, but no further action was taken. He lives with his partner and their young child in a semi-detached house on a leafy suburban road in Ealing, west London. Since Zalkalns was last seen on the evening of 3 September he has not accessed his bank account or used his mobile phone. His passport was left at his house. Police said yesterday that it was their understanding that there was no record in the UK of his murder conviction. Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Home Affairs committee, said: “It is very concerning that people convicted of serious crimes are able to cross borders without the country they are entering being alerted. "The UK needs an updated Warnings Index or a new mechanism, similar to those used in the United States, which would flag up whether a person has a conviction as they are attempting to cross the UK border. Alice Gross Mr Vaz called for Home Secretary Theresa May to push for such measures in negotiations with the EU over justice and home affairs. The Home Office said it had no plans to investigate or conduct an official review into how Zalkalns was able to come to live in the UK. A spokesman said: "We do not routinely comment on individual cases. "We have detailed arrangements in place to identify people of concern entering the UK. All passengers are checked against police, security and immigration watch lists and where we are aware of individuals who pose a risk, Border Force officers can - and do - refuse them entry." A reward of up to £20,000 is being offered for anyone who has information that leads detectives to find Alice. Zalkalns is described as white, 5'10", of stocky build and with dark brown hair that he normally wears tied in a pony tail. Police have said that he "potentially poses a risk to the public" and asked anyone who sees him not to approach him and dial 999. Additional reporting by PA |