Neighbours hear two screams from Hyde Park ex-embassy as woman’s body found
Neighbours recalled hearing high-pitched screams coming from Stanhope Place, which may have recently been turned into an Airbnb, after police found a body yesterday morning
Two high-pitched screams were heard by neighbours before the body of a woman was discovered in a flat on a millionaire’s row near Hyde Park.
Police tape cordons off No. 5 and No. 6 Stanhope Place, just a stone’s throw from Marble Arch in central London. The murder is believed to have occurred at No 6. The building, which dates back to around 1830, is Grade II listed. A three-bedroom flat at No 5 sold for £1.6m two years ago.
Neighbours living near to the lavish home said it used to be owned by the Ethiopian Embassy, whilst some said they thought it had recently been converted into an AirBnB. One elderly neighbour, who wishes to remain anonymous, says she heard two ‘high-pitched screams’ on Sunday night, when police received concern for welfare calls from friends of the dead woman.
The neighbour, who has lived nearby for over half a century, said: “I did hear very, very high-pitched screams on Sunday evening coming from that direction. A series of screams. I recall two – I’m very sensitive to sound. They were very unusual. There was no other sound other than the screams, then silence after. I was in my room and I thought, ‘That’s very strange’. Then I recall there was a sound from the other side of my house. What could I do? If it had continued I would have stuck my head out.
“I was told by my friend across the road that people from the Ethiopian embassy were situated at No. 6. Apparently they’ve moved on now, and apparently they’ve turned the rooms into AirBnBs. My neighbour was leaving her flat yesterday morning and saw the police beating the door down. We saw two forensics trucks and we knew it was serious... We knew it was murder.
“I’ve always been so paranoid living here, but nothing like this has ever happened before. Things have gotten worse in London recently. It’s becoming dangerous. Two tourists walking by the scene said they often stay in a nearby hotel because the area is ‘quiet’. We have never heard of anything like this happening here before,” they said.
Officers were contacted on Sunday, April 7 by friends of a woman who were concerned for her welfare. At around 8.30am the next morning, officers attended her address They forced entry to the property and found the woman deceased. She had suffered a number of stabbing injuries.
Police are working to trace and inform her next of kin. A post-mortem examination will be held in due course. No arrests have been made at this time. Detective Chief Inspector Adam Clifton, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: "I understand this news will be concerning, and that local women especially may be worried. Our enquiries are in the very early stages and we are keeping an open mind as to the motive, however I can assure people that my team are working 24/7 to establish what happened to the woman, and to identify and arrest whoever may be responsible for this attack.
"My officers now need support and information from the public. I want to ask local people to check doorbell cameras, and for drivers in the area to think about whether they’ve seen anything unusual that might have been captured on dash cam. Did you notice any unusual activity at the address? If you did then it is imperative that we hear from you."
Chief Superintendent Louise Puddefoot, lead for policing in Westminster, said: "Our thoughts are with the woman and her family. My officers will do everything we can to support the investigation and they will be stationed in the area to speak to anyone who has any information or concerns they want to share with us."
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