Dubai: Four suspects linked to the violet hammer attack of three Emirati sisters at a central London hotel will appear at Southwark Crown Court on July 3 to appear for a plea and case management hearing.
The UK’s Metropolitan Police on Thursday confirmed that three men charged in connection with an incident at the Cumberland Hotel have been remanded in custody. A woman has been bailed and is to appear at the same hearing.
All four suspects appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday in connection with the hammer attack after being formally charged on Friday last week. The bludgeoning took place on the seventh floor of the Cumberland Hotel between 1am and 2am on April 7.
In a statement, the MET confirmed that: “Victim one remains in a critical condition, [while] victims two and three remain in hospital, but neither is believed to be in a life-threatening condition. Enquiries continue.”
The victims were identified as Uhoud, 34, Kholoud, 36 and Fatima, 31.
Accused
According to UK Police, Philip Spence is accused of three counts of attempted murder and one count of aggravated burglary, while two others have been charged with handling stolen goods. Spence, a 32-year-old from London, was remanded in custody following his appearance.
Property worth more than £1,000 (Dh6,174, €1,200, $2,000) was taken and withdrawals totalling £3,000 were made on one of the victims’ bank cards.
Thomas Efremi, 56, was charged with handling stolen goods and fraud by false representation, and James Moss, 33, was charged with handling stolen goods.
A woman, Carly Baker, 31, is charged with handling stolen goods and will also appear in court on July 3.
All of those charged are British nationals.
A fifth suspect, a 34-year-old man, has been bailed.
Assistance
They are also closely monitoring the health condition of the Emirati women.
The UAE embassy said it has been following with security services and British police during the investigation. According to Rashid Al Daheri, Director of Citizens’ Affairs at the Foreign Ministry, said: “The relevant authorities are following with the UAE Embassy in London the circumstances of the incident, to know the causes behind the assault.”
The UAE Ambassador to the UK, Abdul Rahman Al Mutaiwe’e, said in a statement earlier this week, that the embassy has promptly moved to action on orders from Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to assist the family and its members who are in London, to help them and provide a safe residence for them in London until the investigation is over.
Al Mutaiwe’e said Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, “dispatched a team from Abu Dhabi Police which provided psychological support to the victims”.
