Police investigating the alleged murder of Dubai-based chef Mussie Imnetu have released images of two people they want to talk to.
Mr Imnetu, who had worked under celebrity chefs Gordon Ramsay, Marcus Wareing and Alain Ducasse, was found unconscious with a head injury after being attacked near Notting Hill Carnival in London on August 26. He died four days later.
Omar Wilson, 31, was charged with Mr Imnetu’s murder and is scheduled to stand trial in February at the Old Bailey in London.
He allegedly punched Mr Imnetu several times in the head and was originally charged with causing grievous bodily harm. That was changed to murder following Mr Imnetu's death.
Detectives are continuing to build a picture of what happened to him and have now released pictures of two people who they believe may have information about the attack.
“Mussie Imnetu’s murder has been devastating for his family and friends,” said Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, who is leading the investigation.
“A man will stand trial in February, but all the time we continue to investigate the attack.
“We need to speak to two men who were near the Dr Power restaurant in Queensway between 23.10 and 23.30 on Monday, August 26, and who we believe may hold vital information.
“I would like to stress that the two men pictured have not done anything wrong. If you are one of these men, or if you know one of them, we’d like to hear from you.”
“Did you happen to speak with the victim or the suspect at the time? Did you hear or see anything before the attack took place? Any information you have could prove vital in our ongoing investigation,” he added.
Mr Imnetu worked as head chef at The Brasserie at the Arts Club Dubai and was visiting the UK on a business trip. He left The Arts Club, a private members-only club in Mayfair, on his own shortly after 1pm on the day of the attack wearing a blue T-shirt and black jeans.
He later arrived alone at the Dr Power restaurant, which was busy with carnival goers, at about 10.30pm. Police believe the assault took place at 11.20pm and that customers at the venue had tried to stop it.
More than 7,000 officers were on duty each day of the event in August. Police recorded 350 violent or sexual offences, including the murders of Mr Imnetu and 32-year-old Cher Maximen, who was allegedly stabbed in front of her three-year-old daughter.
The event, described as Europe’s biggest street party, was first held in 1959 to celebrate the area's growing Caribbean population but has attracted criticism in recent years for a high number of public order offences.
A recent police survey described the event as “hell” and a “war zone”, with 28.78 per cent of the 486 officers surveyed saying they had been assaulted while working at the carnival. A further 88.66 per cent said they had felt unsafe while policing the event.
Asked to sum up in a sentence how they feel about policing the carnival, responses included “Hell. It's a war zone we are sent into year after year” and “Dangerous. Officers are treated as lambs to slaughter”.
Other comments included “Overstretched, ineffective, and an exercise in self-torture” and “I would rather crawl naked through broken glass”.
