SMILING for the camera, Liverpool bomber Emad Jamil Al-Swealmeen appears a far cry from the man who tried to blow up women and children in a deadly hospital attack.

The converted Christian is said to have loved cake decorating, art and go-karting – but little was it known he would go on to become a suicide bomber.

Al-Swealmeen, 32, blew himself up in a taxi at the Liverpool Women’s Hospital on Remembrance Sunday – seconds before the 11am minute's silence.

He had moved to the UK seven years earlier where it's claimed he changed his first name to Enzo Almeni in honour of Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari – and in a bid to help him seek asylum in the UK.

The motor-racing enthusiast, who The Sun understands was a Jordanian national, was never granted asylum and in 2017 he converted to Christianity at Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral.

According to pals, he had mental health issues and was previously said to have been sectioned under the Mental Health Act for brandishing a knife near Liverpool's city centre.

But the bomber went on to spend eight months living with devoted Christians Malcolm and Elizabeth Hitchott at their home in Liverpool and appeared the perfect guest.

During his stay, Mrs Hitchcott said Al Swealmeen would go to the food bank with them and do chores around the house.

She said: "He was fairly private but very industrious.

"He loved to draw, he was very interested in art and could cook a mean pizza."

But last night Mr Hitchcott said he felt "numbed" that the "lovely man" who stayed with them could have carried out his evil attack.

He told the Daily Mail he and his wife got to know Al Swealmeen "very well… or we thought we did".

The men would reportedly go for walks, where the typically quiet Al Swealmeen would "talk endlessly and passionately about Jesus".

Haunting pictures show the trio enjoying happier times, with Al-Swealmeen posing for the camera as the chums lived "cheek-by-jowl".

Other pictures show the suicide bomber enjoying trips to a go-cart track, with Malcolm and Elizabeth saying he would often go-kart at Brunswick in Liverpool.

Their guest left on good terms after eight months, as the Hitchcotts were going on holiday.

'BEST OF TERMS'

Speaking of a time after Al-Swealmeen moved out, Mrs Hitchott said: “I bumped into him in a street, he was doing cake decoration at an educational class, a formal course somewhere, he was very enthusiastic.

"He showed me the designs he had done and what he was hoping to do in an upcoming exam. He was quite artistic.

“I gave him a sketchbook and pencils. He drew hills, flowers, everything around him.”

According to friends, Al-Swealmeen had spent a large part of his life in Iraq, where his mum came from.

It was claimed he had told friends he came from Syria — but The Sun understands he was a Jordanian national.

I bumped into him in a street, he was doing cake decoration at an educational class, a formal course somewhere, he was very enthusiastic.

Mrs Hitchcott said she was on the "best of terms" with the asylum seeker, although he once accused her of opening his mail.

She explained: "He had received a small package, he told me it was something for a friend of his… makes me wonder about it now.

"He obviously didn't want me poking my nose in and got very sensitive. Otherwise we were on the best of terms with him."

Al-Swealmeen had taken a taxi to Liverpool's Women's Hospital on Sunday from his home nearby.

CCTV footage captured the moment his home-made-ball-bearing device was detonated seconds after cabbie David Perry pulled up in front of the main entrance at 10.59 am.

Mr Perry survived by "a miracle".

Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Meeks of Counter Terrorism Police North West said: "Our enquiries are very much ongoing but at this stage we strongly believe that the deceased is 32-year-old Emad Al Swealmeen.

"Al Swealmeen is connected to both the Rutland Avenue and Sutcliffe Street addresses where searches are still ongoing.

"We believe he lived at the Sutcliffe Street address for some time and had recently rented the Rutland Avenue address. Our focus is the Rutland Avenue address where we have continued to recover significant items.

"We continue to appeal for any information about this incident and now that we have released his name any information that the public may have about Al Swealmeen no matter how small may be of great assistance to us." 

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