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London Bridge attack: British victim was stabbed through heart London Bridge attacker: relative's warning was not passed to police
(about 2 hours later)
One of the victims of the London Bridge attack died after being stabbed through the heart, an inquest has heard. A crucial warning about the danger posed by Khuram Butt, who led the attack on London Bridge, was not passed to a police investigation into him more than 18 months before the atrocity took place, an inquest has heard.
James McMullan, 32, had been watching football in a nearby pub when he became caught up in the terrorist attack on 3 June 2017. The new revelation about the apparent failing came during evidence at the Old Bailey on Tuesday from a senior Metropolitan police counter-terrorism officer who began investigating Butt in 2015 over concerns he was planning a UK attack.
Home Office forensic pathologist Robert Chapman told the inquest at the Old Bailey on Tuesday that McMullan was stabbed with such force that a knife pierced his breastbone and punctured his heart, with devastating effects. The senior detective, known only as witness M, said a call from Butt’s brother-in-law, Usman Darr, in September 2015, was not passed to him or his team and could have been an early warning of the danger Butt posed.
In June 2017, Butt and two other terrorists killed eight people during a 10-minute attack in which they ran over pedestrians then stabbed people with 12-inch (30cm) knives.
The inquests into the deaths heard an investigation called Operation Hawthorn was launched into Butt in 2015 by MI5 and police over concerns he intended to carry out an attack.
Witness M said it was immediately known Butt associated with a banned extremist group, al-Muhajiroun, in which hate preacher Anjem Choudary was a key figure.
Butt was initially assessed as aspiring to carry out an attack, but lacking capability, witness M said.
Questioned by Jonathan Hough QC, counsel to the inquests, witness M said it was “wrong” the call from Butt’s own family warning of his growing extremism did not come to him. M said: “It denied us the option of what actions to take subsequently.”
Witness M, an experienced detective with Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism command, agreed the way the warning was handled was “very unsatisfactory”.
M said Darr was never spoken to about his concerns over Butt. The information was instead passed to teams investigating al-Muhajiroun and its successor groups.
Last week, the inquest heard that Darr had to be physically separated from Butt in September 2015 after becoming enraged when Butt defended Isis for burning to death a captured Jordanian pilot, which was filmed and released as a propaganda video.
Darr, a brother of Butt’s wife, Zahrah, “was extremely concerned about these views” and contacted the anti-terrorist hotline to report his brother-in-law.
The inquest heard Darr told the hotline of significant changes in Butt’s behaviour, that he was distributing extremist material and was increasingly extreme in his views. He left his mobile number so investigators could follow up, but witness M said he was never told about the call.
Witness M said police consulted prosecutors in 2015 about potential charges against Butt for disseminating terrorist material, but did not have enough evidence.
Earlier on Tuesday the inquest heard one of the victims died after being stabbed through the heart.
James McMullan, 32 from Brent in north-west London, had been watching football in a nearby pub when he became caught up in the terrorist attack on 3 June 2017.
Home Office forensic pathologist Robert Chapman told the inquest that McMullan was stabbed with such force that a knife pierced his breastbone and punctured his heart, with devastating effects.
Chapman, who carried out a postmortem on McMullan, said the wound was 13cm deep and that the victim would not have suffered for long. He said: “I think his collapse would have been rapid.”Chapman, who carried out a postmortem on McMullan, said the wound was 13cm deep and that the victim would not have suffered for long. He said: “I think his collapse would have been rapid.”
Chapman said McMullan, from Brent, north-west London, had marks showing his arm was “gripped by a hand”, during the attack by three terrorists. Chapman said McMullan had marks showing his arm was “gripped by a hand”, during the attack by the three terrorists.
They first ran over pedestrians with a rented van on London Bridge, crashing it into railings by the side of the Barrow Boy and Banker pub in which McMullan had been. He had been watching the Champions League final in the Barrow Boy and Banker pub near London Bridge. McMullan, the only Briton killed, went out for a cigarette and found dead in an alleyway.
The three attackers then sprinted from the van, each armed with a 12-inch (30cm) knife, and began stabbing people. The inquest heard that another of those stabbed to death suffered six knife wounds. Alexandre Pigeard, 26, a French restaurant worker, also died quickly, Chapman said. One wound to his neck cut the jugular vein.
McMullan, the only Briton killed that evening, had been watching the Champions League final in the pub. He went out for a cigarette and was caught up in the attack. He was found dead in an alleyway.
The inquest heard that another of those stabbed to death suffered six knife wounds. Alexandre Pigeard, 26, a French restaurant worker, also died quickly, Chapman said.
One wound in his neck had cut the jugular vein.
As well as McMullan and Pigeard, those who died were Chrissy Archibald, 30, from Canada, Sebastien Belanger, 36, a French chef, Kirsty Boden, 28, a nurse from Australia, Spaniard Ignacio Echeverría Miralles De Imperial, 39, Xavier Thomas, 45, a French national, and Sara Zelenak, 21, an Australian national.As well as McMullan and Pigeard, those who died were Chrissy Archibald, 30, from Canada, Sebastien Belanger, 36, a French chef, Kirsty Boden, 28, a nurse from Australia, Spaniard Ignacio Echeverría Miralles De Imperial, 39, Xavier Thomas, 45, a French national, and Sara Zelenak, 21, an Australian national.
The inquest continues.The inquest continues.
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