A court has heard startling details of a masked assailant’s attempt to take a hostage at a London law firm, accusing staff of “flooding Europe with migrants.”
Cavan Medlock, aged 32, was restrained by solicitors after entering Duncan Lewis’s Harrow office with intent to take hostages. He was armed with a knife, and carried handcuffs, a Nazi flag, and a Confederate flag in his rucksack. During the incident, he hurled racist abuse at two staff members, prompting charges of making preparations for a terrorist act and threats to kill.
On 7 September 2020, Medlock walked into the law firm wearing a Covid face mask and black gloves with reinforced knuckles. Initially, he appeared to comply with the receptionist’s request to make an appointment. However, he soon turned back, approached the desk, and brandished a combat knife from his rucksack. The receptionist managed to push him away, enabling other staff to restrain him until police arrived.
In a gripping account, prosecutor Timothy Cray KC revealed Medlock’s motives. Medlock claimed his actions were to protest the firm’s assistance to immigrants. He reportedly stated, “it’s rats like you that take up all the social housing in this country” and declared “Enoch Powell was right”, showing his far-right extremist views.
Further escalating the tension, another staff member, who is Jewish, inquired if Medlock had an issue with her ethnicity. Medlock replied chillingly, “Hitler was right but didn’t finish the job”.
In a police interview, Medlock confessed he aimed to take a member of staff hostage to inspire similar actions by other far-right extremists. He intended for the media to witness the flags he planned to display, believing that when politics fail, violence is the next step.
The case underscores the threat posed by extremist ideologies. It remains to be seen how justice will address the actions of Cavan Medlock, who remains unfit for trial due to psychiatric reasons.
