Coroner slams London Bridge terrorist’s family as chilling reconstruction shows how carnage unfolded
THE family of one of the warped London Bridge attackers has been slammed – as chilling footage shows how the murderous rampage unfolded in just eight minutes. An inquest today ruled eight victims slaughtered in the 2017 attack were unlawfully killed by depraved Khuram Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22. Chief coroner […]
THE family of one of the warped London Bridge attackers has been slammed – as chilling footage shows how the murderous rampage unfolded in just eight minutes.
An inquest today ruled eight victims slaughtered in the 2017 attack were unlawfully killed by depraved Khuram Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22.
Chief coroner for England and Wales Mark Lucraft QC hit out at Butt’s family for knowing “something of his extreme views”.
He said Butt’s widow Zahrah Rehman, brother-in-law Usman Darr, brother Saad Butt, and sister Haleema Butt all accepted they “should have done more at the time”.
The coroner also branded them “unconvincing witnesses”, adding: “Whilst I can understand the pressures on Saad Butt through the death of his own daughter, it seems to me that on the basis of what he accepted he did know of his brother and the worrying views he was espousing, he did very little, if anything, to accurately monitor his brother’s movements.”
TIMELINE OF TERROR
A haunting new video reconstruction shows how the terror attack on June 3, 2017, was over in just eight minutes.
At 10.07pm as revellers flooded Borough Market to enjoy the warm summer’s night, a white van carrying the terror trio sped across London Bridge at 50mph and ploughed into bystanders.
Pedestrians were flung 20ft in the air like skittles before the rented vehicle smashed into railings next to The Barrowboy & Banker pub.
As witnesses watched the horror unfolding in front of them, the brainwashed jihadis jumped from the van and started knifing people while yelling: “This is for Allah!”
Two minutes later, the attackers stormed Borough Market and hacked at people inside and outside pubs – including three at the Black & Blue steak restaurant.
Brave onlookers fought back against the terrorists – launching chairs and bottles as business owners pulled down their shutters to protect customers inside.
At 10.14pm – six minutes after the first call to police – paramedics and specialist response teams arrive as the warped trio continue to butcher terrified revellers.
By 10.16pm, armed cops arrived at the scene and shot the three attackers dead outside the Wheatsheaf pub.
KILLED TRYING TO HELP
The attack was over in just eight minutes but left a permanent stain on the families of victims and the city of London as it reeled from its second terror attack in just three months.
A grim total of 48 people were also injured after the terrorists left a gruesome trail of bloodshed.
Xavier Thomas, 45, Christine Archibald, 30, Sara Zelenak, 21, Sebastien Belanger, 36, James McMullan, 32, Kirsty Boden, 28, Alexandre Pigeard, 26, and Ignacio Echeverria, 39, were all killed in the attack.
The inquest has heard harrowing stories of how the victims were slaughtered as they ignored the danger around them and heroically rushed to the aid of others.
Sara Zelenak was set upon by the attackers after she fell in her high heels – with James McMullan killed as he tried to help her up.
Nurse Kirsty Boden was stabbed after she went to the aid of French musician Alexandre Pigeard outside the Boro Bistro.
The killers also attacked Sebastien Belanger and Ignacio Echeverria who was fatally injured as he bravely fended off the attackers with his skateboard.
‘CATALOGUE OF FAILINGS’
Christine Delcros, whose boyfriend Xavier was hit on the bridge, slammed authorities for the catalogue of “staggering” failings in the lead up to the attack.
In an emotional statement, Ms Delcros highlighted a “catalogue of failings”, saying: “I believe this attack was preventable.”
She pointed out how authorities ignored “repeated, urgent warnings” about the risk to pedestrians in the wake of the devastating Westminster Bridge attack in March.
But she said of the three terrorists: “They tried in vain to extinguish our joy, our hope, our love. But in the end, they failed.”
The coroner said he was “not convinced” MI5 and police missed any opportunities that would have prevented the attack.
But he did criticise the lack of barriers on the bridge after it was exposed as a “particularly vulnerable” location.
In his summing up, Mr Lucraft also praised police officers, medics and members of the public who ran into the danger amid the murderous chaos.
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PC Charlie Guenigault was off duty when he took on the three terrorists with British Transport Police officer Wayne Marques and Spanish banker Mr Echeverria.
The cop, who was knifed in the head, said: “I just see all three of them standing in front of me, knives in hand and fake vests on and that look of, ‘We’re going to kill you’, basically that sort of anger in their eyes.”
He added: “At the inquest… people want to find blame for why such things happened – there are only three people to blame.”
