London stabbing suspect 'has history of mental illness'

A suspect arrested over a stabbing rampage which left one man dead and five people seriously injured today has a “history of mental illness”, police said.

Chief Superintendent Simon O’Brien said the attacks in north London appeared to have been “a completely random cross-section”.

The victims were both male and female and of different ethnicities, he said.

Detectives were keeping an open mind about links to the fatal stabbing on Wednesday of shopkeeper Mahmut Fahri, which would be a “major line of inquiry”.

The male suspect was arrested in a red Hyundai by unarmed officers this morning.

The suspect was arrested after he pulled up in the car outside his home in Haringey, north London.

He did not put up a struggle and police recovered a knife. There have been no attacks since he was held.

Mr O’Brien said his officers would be investigating whether there was a link between the random attacks and the killing of Turkish Cypriot shopkeeper Mr Fahri at his off licence in the Green Lanes area on Wednesday.

He said: “It will be a major line of inquiry.”

He added: “This morning we are dealing with the tragic death of a man who has been stabbed.

“The Metropolitan Police and my heart and prayers go out to his family.

“At 8.20am we were called to the first stabbing and that man went to hospital where he is in a serious but stable condition.

“Forty-five minutes later other calls came in to other stabbings in the area. One of those people stabbed has died.

“The stabbings were random and there appears to be no link between the victims. They were also a cross-section in terms of ethnicity.

“It has been a terrible morning and the investigation goes on.”

Around 60 or 70 officers are working on the case and forensic teams are at each stabbing scene.

He said police had received information about the suspect and had gone to his house. They were waiting for him when he pulled up in the car.

Detectives currently think only one person committed all the crimes, although Mr O’Brien added: “We are keeping an open mind as to whether others were involved.”