Murder police in plea to husband

JAMES CUSICK

A man whose wife, 16-month-old daughter, and mother and father-in-law were found stabbed to death at their north London home was yesterday urged by police to "hand himself over so we can at least rule him out".

The hunt for Brahim Aderdour, 37, was extended yesterday to ports and airports. Despite confirming that Mr Aderdour and his wife Sophia, 32, were in the process of divorcing, police refused to say whether he was a suspect.

In a warning given during a press conference at Islington police station over yesterday's press coverage of the killings, the officer leading the investigation, Detective Superintendent Derek Dale, said: "We do not know that Mr Aderdour killed his family, so neither can anyone else."

Det Supt Dale confirmed that at 2pm on Thursday the police received an emergency call for help. The call was abandoned but traced to a terraced house in Dagmar Road, Islington, where the four bodies were found in the front room.

Although a knife had been recovered, he said the results of the post- mortem examinations had yet to be completed.

The victims were named as John Trant, 71; his wife, Vivien, 57; their daughter, Sophia Aderdour; and her baby daughter, Amina. All had been stabbed.

Mrs Aderdour was a midwife at the Whittington Hospital, Archway, north London. However, she had been recently working at St Thomas's hospital in Lambeth. It is understood that she used to live with her husband in a flat near her parents' home and that Mrs Trant looked after Amina when her mother was at work. However, the couple recently separated and Mrs Aderdour is thought to have moved in with her parents.

Mr and Mrs Trant worked as travel guides escorting tourists around London and parts of south-east England. Neighbours in the area were still describing their shock and sense of loss over the violent deaths of a well-liked family.

Mr Aderdour came to Britain from Morocco in 1989 and married shortly afterwards. Mr Dale said he was "very anxious" to speak to Mr Aderdour, an unemployed designer, adding: "He might be able to help us."