As he emerged from his car, the hero taxi driver survived the suicide bombing of Poppy Day in Liverpool and told rescuers: “Someone has blown my up.”
David Perry, 45, locked terrorist Emad Al Swealmeen, 32, in his cab outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital at 10.59am on Remembrance Sunday before the suicide bomber set off a device.
Security guard Darren Knowles, who can be seen in CCTV which emerged after the attack wearing yellow hi-viz and racing to help Mr Perry, has revealed that the cabbie fell from his car with blood pouring from his neck and ear from a shrapnel wound screaming: ‘I want my wife’.
After the tragedy of Sunday’s bombing, Mr Knowles was at duty at the Maternity Hospital when it was struck. He told The Mirror that David was confused and disorientated.
He was telling us that there was a passenger. He was trying to tell me, “Is he still there?”.
It all happened so fast. Just as I was about to pump my tyre on my car, it happened. As they pull up, I noticed the taxi. It was a mechanical problem in the taxi, I thought. It was like the engine caught on fire. Then I saw my taxi driver running out. He panicked, screaming “Someone’s blown me up ”’..”
He lives in the same house as his partner and their two children.
It comes as police found several ‘suspicious packages’ after raiding a pub and asylum hostel linked to Al Swealmeen, an Iraq-born failed asylum seeker who had planned an attack for seven months. But, police haven’t found evidence that he was connected to any terrorist organization, suggesting that he might have been radicalized during lockdown.
Security guard Darren Knowles (right), who was on duty at the maternity hospital when the bomber struck, said: ‘David Perry (left) was just so disorientated and confused. “He tried to blow my head up, he tried to blow mine up,” he said.
CCTV shows that Mr Knowles emerged from the attack wearing yellow hiviz and running to help Perry.
His homemade bomb blew up as he approached the hospital. Experts believe it was a Mother of Satan device that had been poorly constructed or one made with fireworks.
View from the air of the wreckage of the ambulance and of the Liverpool Women’s Hospital explosion.
According to police, this is just a routine extension to the cordon that allows officers to assess materials in property. This is in relation to the terrorist incident.
Emad Al Swaalmeen 32, a former asylum seeker who is also a pizza chef has not been found any evidence suggesting that he conspired with or inspired a terrorist group. This suggests that he may have become radicalised while locked down.
A Royal Logistics Corp bomb disposal vehicle was seen arriving in Sutcliffe Street, Liverpool along with a fire engine, and the cordon was slightly extended to Boaler Street before ending this evening.
Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North West, said several suspicious packages were examined by officers before being recovered by forensic teams.
Also, searches were conducted at Rutland Avenue property that Al Swealmeen rented since April. That is what the police are investigating.
Police previously stated Al Swealmeen was born in Iraq and had taken a seven-month lease on a Liverpool property. He had also begun making “relevant purchases” for the homemade bomb since then.
The officers have yet to discover evidence Al Swealmeen was inspired or conspired by terror groups. This suggests that he may be a “lonewolf” who was radicalised online while in lockdown.
The bomber may have been suffering from a mental disorder after he failed to get asylum in the UK. This was because the Home Office didn’t believe that he was Syrian. It was revealed that his relatives and close friends told police that the bomber was born in Iraq.
ACC Jackson provided an update about the investigation and stated that the pizza maker converted to Christianity around Easter. He began renting Rutland Avenue in Liverpool.
ACC Jackson stated that a complex picture was emerging regarding the purchase of component parts for the device. We know Al Swealmeen rented out the property in April and believe that relevant purchases were made since then.
He stated that while we have not yet found any links to anyone in the Merseyside areas of concern, it is still a rapid-moving investigation. We cannot exclude action against other parties as we learn more.
He confirmed the terrorist’s cause-of-death and said that a post mortem had been performed on him. The cause of death was described as burns from the explosion and fire.
The 32-year-old asylum-seeker also stated that he had experienced periods of mental illness. This will “form part of our investigation” and it will require some time for us to fully understand.
Jackson stated that Al Swealmeen was a well-known figure in many circles. “We continue to ask for anyone who knew Al Swealmeen, particularly those who were associated with him this past year, as we attempt to put together the facts and reasons behind this tragedy.”
As his taxi arrived at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, the 1lb bomb went off just as Remembrance Day was about to begin.
There are conflicting reports as to the material of this device.
According to some insiders, it contained ball bearings. It was also made from homemade TATP explosives. TATP explosive is known to be unstable. It is also known as the ‘Mother of Satan’ due to its vulnerability to accidental explosions. TATP was used in terrorist attacks in Paris, 2017 as well as the Manchester Arena attack and failed Parsons Green Underground stations.
Other experts think he might have ordered his explosives online, or even on the high-street. He may also have built his homemade improvised bomb device (IED), using seasonal fireworks.
Investigators now want to track Al Swealmeen’s movements in order to determine if he purchased his explosives on the internet or off-the-shelf. Experts fear that the bomber made his homemade improvised explosive devices (IED) with seasonal fireworks.
According to a former official counter-terror, the smoke billowing from the cab may be indicative of gunpowder use. A flash inside the cab might also indicate that powder burning has occurred.
“It is possible for homemade devices to be made using fireworks but you need planning skills and experience.”
It is possible that he may have used a recipe to make the explosive material used by 7/7 bombers in London 2005.
Surprisingly, no one knew of his behavior. The local mental hospital trust stated that he used to receive help previously, but was now not a patient.
Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said that Emad Al Swealmeen was a previous user of our services, but not at the time the incident occurred.
Friends reported that Al Swealmeen suffered from depression. He was then sectioned in 2014, after his first rejection for asylum.
The bomber had been so obsessed with cars that he called himself “GT” and tattooed his initials on one of his arms along with the chequered flag.
He changed his name to Enzo Almeni – after the Ferrari boss – and loved go-karting so much that that he bought his own helmet and got friends to sign it.
He used to frequent the TeamSport Gokarting track on Liverpool’s Brunswick Docks. There he raced laps with either his housemates, or alone.
Friends claimed that they were shocked to learn that the young man was quiet and brash, but a fan of Johnny Cash was the one behind the Poppy Day bomb.
Royal Logistic Corps Bomb Disposal unit arrives on Sutcliffe Street at the Kensington Area of Liverpool
As the investigation continues after the blast at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, the Army Bomb Disposal Team makes their way towards Sutcliffe Street
The taxi that was destroyed in the terrorist attack at Liverpool Women’s Hospital on Emad Al Swealmeen’s life, 32.
An officer in forensics walks by a policeman upon his arrival at Rutland Ave property. He rented the flat from April, where he built his bomb.
After the explosion, evidence was still being gathered by Liverpool Women’s Hospital forensic officers
Al Swealmeen received a room at their home from Malcolm and Elizabeth Hitchcott in 2017. This was for eight month’s duration.
One of his coworkers at the pizza shop knew Al Swealmeen and said that he called himself GT to express his love for cars. He even had his nickname tattooed on one arm.
“He was very shy, quiet but not strangely so. His picture made me nearly fall off my seat when I saw it. I would not have picked him over any other take-out worker to make something as sick.
“He wasn’t shy, but he didn’t hide something. He seemed more confident than he is. Although he did talk to me once about being depressed, he didn’t go further. At that time, he was living in a small apartment with some other people and all he wanted to do was go-karting.
“He was so excited to show me the helmet that he purchased. He took to go-karting on his own a couple of times, was very interested in it and got a tattoo.
“He loved Johnny Cash, and told me that he also wanted a Johnny Cash tattoo.
Malcolm Hitchcott, an Army Officer and lay pastor who provided Al Swealmeen with a place in his home over eight months, is remembered as accompanying Al on a trip at the track.
He was seen in his racing outfit at the venue where he competed in both the Top Gun marathon karting races as well as 50 lap events. He got me to sign my helmet much like Lewis Hamilton does with helmets. [for fans],’
Hitchcott said that he never talked about one particular driver, but he did love Ferrari and was a Ferrari fan. He also had a Ferrari email address. His passion was motor racing.
Al Swealmeen ordered a taxi to take him from Rutland Avenue into the Crown Street hospital just before 11am Remembrance Sunday.
It boasts a 40mph indoor kart track and several Liverpool sporting legends including Sam Quek, Jamie Carragher, Tony Bellew and Sam Quek on its celebrity leaderboard.
A source claimed that Al Swealmeen hadn’t been on the track in over a year. Al Swealmeen worked for a local businessman at his restaurant in a pizza delivery service. He said that he is a polite and nice man.
“I was stunned when I found out who it was,” the man said, but did not wish to be identified.
“I’m still stunned by it. He was kind and polite. Although he wasn’t an observant Muslim, he said that he was a Christian and had never been to church.
“I have worked with Muslims in the past, and some don’t like to touch ham that isn’t Halal. But he seemed unaffected by this.
“He was part-time, had a visa and was legitimate. I paid him about £50 a day.
“Never in a million of years would I consider him capable to do such a thing.”
Al Swealmeen, according to the friend, was not religious.
He added, “He never talked about religion.”
He said, “I did not believe that he was a Christian. However, I can recall him telling me once that he used to go to church regularly and wanted to make friends there.
I would like to learn more about what happened over the years. It is possible that he was manipulated or corrupted. The man I knew and what he did on Sunday – they are like night and day.’