Liverpool Women’s Hospital bombing: No evidence that bomber held extremist views - new report released

The man who detonated a homemade bomb outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital is believed to have had grievance against the British state, according to a new police report.

On November 14 2021, Emad Al Swealmeen pulled up as a passenger in a Delta taxi outside the maternity hospital’s entrance and set off a bomb at 10.59am.

Taxi driver, David Perry, escaped from the vehicle seconds before the homemade explosive device went off in the back of the car and Al Swealmeen died in the explosion. Shattering the windows the vehicle, the homemade bomb also caused injury to Mr Perry’s ear, but he was treated and later discharged from hospital.

Counter Terrorism Policing North West (CTPNW) today (October 2) published a report of key findings from the investigation, known as Operation Itonia, said there was no evidence Al Swealmeen held extremist views and there is no evidence anyone else was involved in the attack.

It is believed Al Swealmeen intended to go into the hospital and detonate the device, however Detective Superintendent Andy Meeks said the bomb was “inherently unstable” and it is highly likely that it exploded earlier than planned.

DS Meeks explained: “We are confident that Al Swealmeen acted alone and that this was a planned attack by a man who was prepared to do more harm than was thankfully inflicted. He built an IED using components purchased legally over a number of months and took significant steps to conceal this activity from the authorities – including renting a flat on Rutland Avenue to build the device.

“We still can’t say with absolute certainty what his intended target was, however, there is no information to suggest that Al Swealmeen planned to detonate his device anywhere other than the Liverpool Women’s Hospital.

“It is believed the motive was likely driven by anger towards the British state for repeated rejections of his asylum claim and exacerbated by his own mental health struggles.

“This was an incredibly complex case involving a lone suspect who took considerable steps to cover his tracks and I understand the concerns this will raise around the detection of such offenders.”

DS Meeks added that Al Swealmeen, who was born in Iraq, went to considerable lengths to stay in the country, including converting to Christianity, although the authenticity of his conversion was in doubt.