Man Who Stabbed UK Social Worker Kept Children Indoors for a Year Because of COVID-19 Fears

Defendant describes Haringey social services and police as a 'private army'

A sign from Haringey Council reminds people to stay at home near Alexandra Palace in London, on April 26, 2020. Edward Smith/Getty Images

LONDON—A man who stabbed a social worker who was conducting welfare checks on three children has said they were kept indoors for “over a year” because of fears of COVID-19.

Sulai Man, 34, denies attempting to murder Themba Nkomo, 61, who was attacked in the hallway outside a flat in Wood Green, north London, on Aug. 6, 2021.