A woman who once dated the suspect involved in the Manchester synagogue attack has shared unsettling details about her past relationship with him.
On Thursday, October 2, a tragic event unfolded in Manchester, UK, as a man drove his vehicle into a group of people outside a synagogue, resulting in two fatalities and three injuries.
After exiting the car, the attacker reportedly attempted to stab individuals, leading to police intervention that resulted in his shooting and subsequent death.
The two victims who lost their lives have been identified as Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66.
Authorities later identified the attacker as Jihad Al-Shamie, a British national of Syrian heritage.
In the wake of the attack, a woman who claims to have been in a relationship with Al-Shamie has come forward, alleging he was abusive and controlling and made disturbing admissions to her.
In an interview with the Manchester Evening News (MEN), the woman, now residing outside the UK, recounted her on-and-off relationship with Al-Shamie.
The two met through the Muslim dating app Muzmatch, and she recounted being coerced into watching ‘extreme videos’ by him.
After their breakup, she showed MEN messages from Al-Shamie sent through a banking app after she had blocked him on other platforms.
One of his messages allegedly stated: “We had a good year or so. I enjoyed destroying you hundreds of times. In your prime.”
He also wrote: “Your (sic) so childish. Unblock me. And give me ur snap like I asked.”
Additionally, he sent her a voice note that highlighted his controlling demeanor.
Reflecting on Al-Shamie’s character, she mentioned that he once insisted she should be ‘dedicated to the cause’.
She was particularly disturbed when he expressed a desire to join ISIS, hoping he wasn’t earnest in his intentions.
The woman recounted to MEN: “He used to say, ‘I want you to be dedicated to the cause’, and he used to sit there and make me watch videos – like extreme videos – that I had no interest in. I am Muslim and of course I love to learn more. But this stuff was things that I have been raised to not agree with.
“He used to always say I was taught the wrong way and I wasn’t taught right. He was basically just trying to groom me into what he thought.”
She further expressed disbelief at her decision to remain in the relationship despite the ‘weird stuff’ he used to say.