Terror rampage victim’s life was a triumph, his mum tells inquest
THE mother of one of the victims of the Fishmongers’ Hall attack has tearfully described her son as a “force for good in the world”.
Cambridge University graduates Jack Merritt (25) and Saskia Jones (23) were killed by convicted terrorist Usman Khan at a prisoner rehabilitation event near London Bridge on November 29, 2019.
Khan (28), who was armed with two knives and wore a fake suicide vest, was tackled by members of the public with a decorative pike, narwhal tusk and fire extinguisher, and then shot dead by police on London Bridge.
A jury inquest into the deaths of Mr Merritt and Ms Jones began yesterday before Coroner Mark Lucraft QC at the Guildhall in the City of London.
Ms Jones was a former criminology student and former Cambridge undergraduate Mr Merritt was employed by the university on the Learning Together programme.
Speaking in the Old Library at the Guildhall, Mr Merritt’s mother, Anne Merritt, wept as she read out moving tributes to her son.
She told jurors: “Jack Merritt was a good person. Jack was a force for good in the world, someone who made other people’s lives better for knowing him. We are hugely proud of who Jack was and what he stood for.
“His death was a tragedy but his life was a triumph.”
She read tributes from friends and family who described him as a “true visionary”, a “very cool brother” and a “fiercely loyal” friend who “championed the underdog”.
Henry Pitchers QC said Ms Jones’ family had decided against doing a full portrait for her as it “would fly in the face” of her private nature.
He said Ms Jones would wish the inquest to focus on the facts and evidence, with “emphasis to be on a thorough investigation as to how she came to lose her life”.
He described her research in the field of sexual violence with Rape Crisis in Cambridge.
He said: “Her passion in this area enabled her to finally find her career path with the hope of becoming a detective in victim support within the police force.”
Detective Chief Inspector Dan Brown went on to chronicle the events of November 29, 2019.
He told jurors the attack began at 1.56pm in the men’s toilets at Fishmongers’ Hall. Khan had armed himself with two knives and left a bag containing a third knife in the toilets, where he also dropped a prayer book.
It was there that he attacked Mr Merritt, stabbing him multiple times, causing 12 injuries including a fatal wound to the chest, the court heard.
Khan made his way to the cloakroom area, where he gestured to a member of staff “as if to be quiet”, Mr Brown said.
Khan then stabbed Ms Jones in the neck, jurors were told.
Ms Jones staggered towards the bottom of the stairs and took a few steps before collapsing.
Khan went on to attack Stephanie Szczotko and Isobel Rowbotham during the rampage. He was confronted by a number of attendees with an ornamental pike taken from the wall and a narwhal tusk, jurors heard.
The attacker then approached a member of staff, held a knife to his chest and asked him to open the door, which he did, the court was told.
Meanwhile, the court heard, there were screams and lots of confusion as people left by another exit. Khan was confronted on London Bridge by John Crilly, Steven Gallant and Darryn Frost at around 2.01pm, some five minutes after the attack began, jurors were told.
The inquest is expected to last for several weeks.