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A DAD has said Khalid Masood once plunged a 12-inch kitchen knife into his face.

Danny Smith, 35, suffered horrific injuries when the brute, then known as cocaine dealer Adrian Elms, attacked him 15 years ago.

Danny Smith was attacked by monster Khalid Masood
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Danny Smith was attacked by monster Khalid MasoodCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

The blade sliced his nose in half and ripped through his tongue.

But violent thug Masood escaped a jail sentence for attempted murder after a jury acquitted him.

Scaffolder Danny said: “I only knew him three days and he tried to kill me.

Khalid Masood escaped a jail sentence for attempted murder
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Khalid Masood escaped a jail sentence for attempted murder

“I don’t know what path his life took for him to end up carrying out a terror attack in the heart of London.

“But back in 2003 he tried to end my life. We’d met in the pub and we got on really well. But we had a small falling-out.

“He came back out with the knife and punched me.

Police officers look at floral tributes to victims of Wednesday's attack outside the Houses of Parliament in London
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Police officers look at floral tributes to victims of Wednesday's attack outside the Houses of Parliament in LondonCredit: AP:Associated Press

"The handle hit my forehead and the knife went straight through my nose, my mouth and my tongue.

“I fell down and I'm trying to get up but he’s trying to stab me in the back four times.

“I thought the knife was going in my body.

Khalid Masood, from Birmingham, carried out a terrorist attack in London.
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Khalid Masood, from Birmingham, carried out a terrorist attack in London.Credit: PA:Press Association

“But a part of it had already snapped off in my face and luckily I was wearing a thick jacket which saved my life. I jumped up and ran as fast as I could. I ran so fast my trainers flew off.

“I had blood all over my face and several inches of the knife was still embedded in the the bottom of my mouth.

London has banded together in tribute to those killed in the horrific attack
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London has banded together in tribute to those killed in the horrific attackCredit: AP:Associated Press

"I could feel the knife was still in my mouth and my nose was flapping about on my cheek in the wind.
";There was so much blood it was like someone had turned a tap on from my face.

He was still behind me shouting ‘I’m going to f***ing kill you’. But I ran and ran and he eventually stopped following.”

Danny called Masood a dangerous man
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Danny called Masood a dangerous manCredit: The Sun

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Danny said Masood came at him with the knife
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Danny said Masood came at him with the knifeCredit: The Sun
A man - thought to be the terrorist behind the attack - is wheeled onto an ambulance
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A man - thought to be the terrorist behind the attack - is wheeled onto an ambulanceCredit: PA:Press Association
A forensics tent on Westminster Bridge seen from Golden Jubilee Bridge in London
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A forensics tent on Westminster Bridge seen from Golden Jubilee Bridge in LondonCredit: PA:Press Association

Danny was rushed to hospital in Eastbourne, East Sussex, where he had more than 50 stitches put in his face.

Masood ended up in a next-door hospital bed with a wound to his hand caused by the knife attack.

Police arrested him and he was put in a cell at Lewes prison to await his trial at crown court for attempted murder.

Police forensic officers in Parliament Square outside the Houses of Parliament in London, after seven people were arrested in raids in London, Birmingham
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Police forensic officers in Parliament Square outside the Houses of Parliament in London, after seven people were arrested in raids in London, BirminghamCredit: PA:Press Association

Danny said: "The nurses who looked at my face later said they had never seen something so severe.

"They couldn't get the broken blade out of my face so I just pulled it out myself with a set of their pliers.

"They had to cal in specialists from Uckfield Hospital to rebuild my nose.

"I had more than 50 stitches on my nose, tongue and bottom lip.

"They basically had to stick my face from the inside out.

Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood (centre, in group at bottom right) helps emergency services attend to a police officer at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster
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Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood (centre, in group at bottom right) helps emergency services attend to a police officer at the scene outside the Palace of WestminsterCredit: PA:Press Association

"The pain in my tongue was horrendous."

Masood appeared at Lewes crown court later that year.

His defence claimed Danny fell over and impaled his own face on the knife.

London was on lockdown as people were warned to stay away from no go zones after four people were killed in the London terror attack
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London was on lockdown as people were warned to stay away from no go zones after four people were killed in the London terror attackCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
Danny Smith met Masood back in 2003
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Danny Smith met Masood back in 2003
Emergency services at the scene of the London terror attack
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Emergency services at the scene of the London terror attackCredit: EPA

Masood was acquitted of attempted murder and it is believed he was given six months for possession of a knife.

But because of the amount of time spent in jail awaiting trial, he was freed.

Danny said: “Even the judge couldn’t believe it when the jury came back not guilty. He should have gone to prison.

Masood's defence claimed Danny fell on the knife himself
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Masood's defence claimed Danny fell on the knife himselfCredit: The Sun

“If he’d been convicted he would only probably just be coming out of prison now. I was in court with my mum for the verdict.

“When he walked free, he turned round and growled at me and my mum with a smirk on his face. I never saw that man again.

“He was a dangerous, dangerous man.

Tourists were trapped on the London Eye during the terror attack
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Tourists were trapped on the London Eye during the terror attackCredit: PA:Press Association
Hero PC Keith Palmer died after being stabbed by the terrorist
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Hero PC Keith Palmer died after being stabbed by the terroristCredit: ITV

“He was one of the nastiest pieces of work I’ve ever come across.”

Danny, an unlicensed boxing heavyweight champion in the South, added: “In a straight fight I’d have kicked the s**t out of him but he came at me like a coward carrying a knife.

“He had these big bug eyes with a scar down his face and a horrible voice that made your hair stand on end.

Police secure the area on the south side of Westminster Bridge close to the Houses of Parliament in London
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Police secure the area on the south side of Westminster Bridge close to the Houses of Parliament in LondonCredit: AP:Associated Press
Masood stuck the 12 inch knife into Danny's face
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Masood stuck the 12 inch knife into Danny's faceCredit: The Sun

“He most definitely wasn’t a Muslim when I met him. He was a crook. He was the kind of person you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley.”

Masood had a reputation as a violent knife-carrying crook and mugger in the early 2000s in Eastbourne.

He was first convicted of criminal damage in 1983 and was given two years in jail in 2000 for GBH.

He got six months for possession of a knife in 2003, believed to be the attack on Danny.

Killer timeline

1964: Born Adrian Elms in  Kent. Later becomes  Adrian Russell Ajao.
1975: Smokes cannabis at secondary school in leafy Tunbridge Wells.
1983: Criminal damage conviction.
2000: Jailed for two years for GBH. On release, moves in with partner Jane Liza Harvey until 2003.
2003: Six months’ jail  over knife.
2004: On release, marries Muslim Farzana Malik. Now believed divorced.
2005:  Teaching in Saudi Arabia.
2006: In Crawley. Visits by cops.
2008-2009: Back in  Saudi Arabia.
2009-2012: Working as English teacher in Luton as Khalid Masood.
2017: Kills four people and shot dead in Westminster terror attack.

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