Liverpool hospital taxi bomber had ‘murderous intent’, coroner rules

Iraqi-born Al Swealmeen died from the explosion and fire caused by the improvised device he manufactured when it went off with him inside the taxi.

The taxi driver, David Perry, survived the blast, captured on hospital CCTV.

The bombing came shortly before 11am on Remembrance Sunday, not far from a nearby church service attended by hundreds of people at Liverpool Cathedral.

Senior coroner Andre Rebello concluded a brief inquest into the death of Al Swealmeen at Liverpool and Wirral Coroner’s Court on Thursday.

Recording his conclusion the coroner said: “On November 14 2021 Emad Jamil Salman Al Swealmeen died in a taxi in front of Liverpool Women’s Hospital.

“He died from an explosion and subsequent fire caused by an improvised explosive device which he had carried into the taxi.

“It is found he manufactured the improvised explosive device, designed to project shrapnel, with murderous intent.”

He added: “It remains unclear as to whether he intended the device to detonate when it did.”

The inquest further revealed the device was made at a flat rented by Al Swealmeen in Rutland Avenue, and that he called his brother 48 hours before he died suggesting he might do “something bad”.

Liverpool hospital taxi bomber had ‘murderous intent’, coroner rules (PA)

The inquest heard the device was made at a flat rented by Al Swealmeen in Rutland Avenue and that he called his brother 48 hours before he died and suggested he might do “something bad”.

Rebello said Al Swealmeen’s brother, who lives in America, said he had spoken to him on Friday, November 12, two days before the bomb went off.

Mr Rebello told the inquest: “He says towards the end of call Emad said something like ‘if I do something bad that will affect the family what do you think?’

“He replied something like ‘don’t do s***’, advising him as an older brother, although this was something which caused him concern, knowing his previous issues.”

He said Al Swealmeen, born in Baghdad, Iraq, had been in prison in the Middle East for a serious assault on another person, as well as being in trouble in Liverpool previously for possession of an offensive weapon.

The inquest was told that taxi driver David Perry drove to the hospital and stopped outside the front entrance.

Rebello said: “As his car came to a stop he didn’t notice anything unusual, no warning, no movement from the passenger, just the blast.

“He described the journey as non-eventful, saying if the bomb hadn’t gone off he wouldn’t have remembered anything about the journey.

“David described pressing on the brakes, coming to a slow stop. As the vehicle stopped, suddenly it felt like a wagon had crashed into the back of the car and he said he was thrown forwards and blacked out for a couple of seconds.”

“He could see smoke and smell burning plastic and the smell of burning body and thought ‘I’m dead if I don’t get out’,” Rebello added.

“He saw light coming from the floor near his driver’s door and without taking his seatbelt off he pushed the door as hard as he could to force himself out of the car.

“He didn’t know if the passenger was still in there, he didn’t turn round to look at him.”

Press Association has reported that Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Meeks confirmed it was accurate to describe the Rutland Avenue address as a “bomb-making factory”.

He confirmed the device used a homemade explosive charge and was intended to cause death and serious injury.

Meeks said there was no evidence to suggest anyone else had been involved with the procurement of materials or construction of the device but investigations were continuing.