A 19-year-old suspect charged with stabbing to death an elderly American woman during a knife rampage in central London this week was today remanded in custody for three days.
Zakaria Bulhan, a London-based Norwegian national of Somalian descent, appeared at the Westminster Magistrates' Court here today for the first time after the Wednesday mass knife attack and was remanded in custody until another appearance at a higher court.
Bulhan, who was charged last night with the murder of 64-year-old Darlene Horton and the attempted murder of five other persons including foreigners, appeared without legal representation and sat hunched throughout the short hearing with his hand over his mouth.
Two women and three men were injured in the attack at the popular Russell Square, a park near the site of a 2005 suicide bombing, in central London on Wednesday. They include Australian, American, Israeli and British citizens.
As the names of the victims were read out in court, identifying them for the first time, he held his face in his hands.
When asked if he understood the charges, he nodded giving the judge a thumbs-up gesture, BBC reported.
Wearing a light grey tracksuit, he spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth.
He was remanded in custody and ordered to appear at the Old Bailey court in London, a higher court, on Tuesday.
Bulhan has been described as a "quiet, nice" schoolboy at Graveney School in Tooting, south London and initial probe indicate that tragic incident was triggered by mental health issues. Police said there was no evidence the mass knife attack was terrorism-related.
Horton, a retired teacher and mother of two, had been visiting London with her husband Richard Wagner, who was teaching summer classes.
She was stabbed in front of Wagner, a psychology professor at Florida State University who had brought students to the UK.
The university said the couple had planned to return to their home in Tallahassee, Florida, on Thursday - the day after the attack.
The university's president, John Thrasher, said "there are no words to express our heartache".
A British man who suffered a stab wound to his stomach in the attack remains in hospital.
Now that charges have been framed, reporting restrictions come into place to ensure a fair trial.
