Authorities blasted for failing to spot killer terrorist Usman Khan was a danger
BUNGLING authorities who failed to spot danger signals and share intelligence about killer terrorist Usman Khan were last night accused of having blood on their hands.
Ex-offender John Crilly fought off Khan after he fatally stabbed two graduates at a rehabilitation event.
The 28-year-old jihadi had been released on licence 11 months before after serving half a 16-year term for plotting terrorism.
He lulled community supervisors into believing he was reformed and failings by MI5 and the police contributed to the deaths, the inquest heard.
Mr Crilly said: “All the intelligence was there, he was still at it.
“They’ve all got blood on their hands. And I will never be able to process it. Every one of them should resign today.”
An inquest jury yesterday ruled criminologists Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, were unlawfully killed at Fishmongers’ Hall, London, in November 2019.
Jurors also ruled there was serious deficiency in a multi-agency panel responsible for monitoring him. This included police and probation services.
And the jury said there had been a “missed opportunity” for authorities overseeing Khan to provide expertise and guidance and share intelligence.
Khan, of Stafford, was allowed to travel to London alone for the conference, organised by Cambridge University’s Learning Together programme, after a public protection panel failed to discuss the risks, the inquest heard.
MI5 had called a joint operations team meeting to consider placing him under surveillance, 11 days before the trip.
But the inquest heard MI5 had been unable to put a surveillance operation in place in time.
Jurors also heard that during his eight years in prison, Khan was considered to be among the 70 highest-risk prisoners in the country and had continued to associate with other extremists.
And he had tried to radicalise children following his release.
Khan killed Sarah and Jack and injured three before heroes, including Mr Crilly, right, holding a fire extinguisher and Derryn Frost wielding a ceremonial narwhal tusk, chased him out of the hall and on to London Bridge. Cops arrived and shot him dead.
Coroner Mark Lucraft QC instructed the jury to return conclusions of unlawful killing.
Learning Together and hall owners the Fishmongers’ Company were criticised for failing to protect attendees.
Speaking after the conclusions at London’s Guildhall, the jury foreman said they sent heartfelt condolences to the families of Saskia and Jack who “clearly touched the lives of so many, ours included”.
She added: “We are incredibly sorry. The world lost two bright stars that dreadful day.
“We also wanted to take this opportunity to thank the astonishing individuals who put themselves in real danger to help and our incredible emergency services for their response both that day and every day.” Jack’s dad David said afterwards: “Jack believed in the work he was doing with prisoners through Learning Together, he saw first-hand the transformative effect it had.
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“We support its work and hope it continues in future, with due regard to the issues highlighted by the inquest.”
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But Saskia’s family accused the project of using Khan as a “poster boy” to promote its rehabilitation programme. They said: “It seems there was no intent on their part to listen or take notice of what they were dealing with in working with such a high-risk individual.”
The family also said it was “beyond understanding and astonishing” that no agencies had sufficiently considered the risk of Khan going to London with no escort.