Woman found beheaded in north London garden

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after officers found a woman who had reportedly been beheaded in the back garden of a home in a London suburb.
The victim was found at an address on Nightingale Road, Edmonton, north London, just after 1pm on Thursday.

Firearms officers were sent to the scene and one officer was injured, suffering a broken wrist, during the detention of a 25-year-old man.

The Metropolitan police said officers had fired a Taser, which directs an electric current at a suspect police want to subdue, during the incident.

Police said they were called at 1.07pm to reports of a man armed with a knife. "On arrival officers found a woman, no further details at this stage, collapsed in a garden area. She was pronounced dead at the scene."


Officers were still trying to locate all the woman's next of kin and would not confirm the injuries suffered or the weapon or weapons used to inflict them.

Paramedics called to the scene immediately realised the victim was dead, such was the severity of her wounds. London ambulance service had dispatched the air ambulance to the scene in the hope that her life could be saved.
The incident, coming two days after video of a terrorist beheading of a US journalist gained widespread media coverage, sparked speculation as to its cause.

However, the attack on the woman is not believed by police to be terrorist-related and hours on from the incident specialist counter-terrorism officers were not involved in the inquiry, which they would be if violent extremism was suspected as a causal factor in the attack.

A long stretch of Nightingale Road, a long, mainly residential street, was closed off by police, causing a significant tailback of traffic.

Behind the cordon, on a section of the road lined with 1930s terraced houses, police guarded the front of one home, while others stood around a white van. A police helicopter hovered overhead.
Officers at the scene said it was possible the stretch of road could be sealed off overnight.

DCI John Sandlin, who is leading the investigation, said: "This was a highly visible attack in broad daylight on a residential street. I can understand why this may cause people concern. However, we are confident that we are not looking for anyone else at this stage.

"Whilst it is too early to speculate on what the motive behind this attack was I am confident, based on the information currently available to me, that it is not terrorist-related.

"Local officers and specialist detectives are at the scene and will remain there for many hours to come.
"Specially trained family liaison officers will be deployed to support the family; we request that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time."

The Met added: "A 25-year-old man was detained by firearms officers near the scene of the incident. He was arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody. One firearms officer was injured during the course of the arrest, believed to be suffering from a broken wrist. Taser was discharged by officers."  (Source: theguardian)