Man charged with attempted murder following hotel hammer attack
A man has been charged with attempted murder following a hammer attack on three tourists at a London hotel, which has left one of the victims with just 5% brain function, according to police.
Philip Spence, aged 32, of no fixed abode, has been charged with three counts of attempted murder and one count of aggravated burglary. Three more suspects have been charged with various other offences in relation to the attack.
Spence is due to appear at Southwark Crown Court on April 17.
Three sisters from the United Arab Emirates were attacked in their room at the Cumberland Hotel in Marble Arch in the early hours of April 6.
A Met Police spokesman said one of the victims had suffered life threatening head and facial injuries, and had lost her left eye and significant quantities of blood.
Doctors have assessed that she has 5% brain function, although her other organs are in good working order, the spokesman added.
Another sister suffered two fractures to her skull, a broken left arm and a fracture to her cheekbone and is still in hospital.
The third sister has a fractured skull and a ruptured left eardrum. She was released from hospital on 8 April but readmitted on 9 April with severe head pains.
Thomas Efremi, 56 of Islington has been charged with handling stolen goods and fraud by false representation following the attack.
A third man, James Moss, 33, of north London, has been charged with handling stolen goods.
Efremi and Moss were remanded to appear at crown court on the same date as Spence.
Carly Baker, 31, also of North London, was charged with handling stolen goods and will appear in court on Tuesday.
A 34-year-old man, who was also arrested over the attack, has been bailed to return in May.
The 1,000-room Cumberland Hotel is just off Oxford Street.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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