Mother of Woolwich murder suspect battled to turn him against extremism amid concerns he was 'turning against the family'

The mother of one of the men suspected of butchering a British solider on a London street desperately battled to turn him against extremism after becoming concerned by his behaviour, it has been claimed. Friends say Juliet Obasuyi was worried Michael Adebowale was turning against the family and wanted him to have 'spiritual guidance' before he radicalised himself. The 43-year-old was often left in tears after speaking to her son and would approach neighbours and friends for help. One of her neighbours said Mrs Obasuyi went to him about nine months ago after her son dropped out of university.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Mrs Obasuyi told her 62-year-old security officer neighbour that her son was not listening anymore. 'His older sister is a good Christian with a degree but Michael is rebelling as he has no father figure, dropping out of university and handing out leaflets in Woolwich town centre. 'He is from a strong Christian family but he is turning to Islam and turning against the family. He needs spiritual guidance before he radicalises himself.”

Another friend of Mrs Obasuyi, Steve Adebiyi, told the newspaper that Adebowale was giving his mother problems. 'They brainwashed him,' he said.

Meanwhile, the father of murdered schoolboy Damilola Taylor said tonight that he had acted as a mentor to Adebowale, who was known to his friends as Toby.

Asked about Wednesday's events, Richard Taylor told ITV News: 'I was terribly shocked at what I saw that day. 'It's a different Toby or Michael that I was seeing that day. I don't believe it was anything Islamic.' Mr Taylor, whose son was just ten when he was killed in the capital in 2000, said he had tried to help Adebowale after he was bullied at school and then became involved in drugs and gangs. But he said that when he spoke to Adebowale two months ago, he told him that he had changed his ways as he had become a Muslim. He went on: 'Having seen how my own son was stabbed to death, made me feel that... whatever happens, they will still be alive, they will still be on the street or maybe they will take them away from the public or change their faces. They don't deserve to live.'

Mr Taylor said he had also known Adebowale's mother, who he said was a probation officer, while he said his father was a representative in the Nigerian High Commission.