Mum’s grief as terror attack inquest opens
AN ANGUISHED mother heard yesterday how her 21-year-old daughter was stabbed to death in the London Bridge terror attack, as inquests were opened.
Australian nanny Sara Zelenak died from a neck wound from a 12-inch blade.
She had been due to work on the night of the attack but went to meet a friend after a last-minute change of plan.
Her mother Julie Wallace, sitting at the front of the hearing with husband Mark, nodded to confirm the spelling of Sara’s surname at Southwark coroner’s court.
Coroner Andrew Harris told the families attending: “All of our thoughts and condolences are with you at this terrible time.
“One of the most horrible things is for parents to be in court hearing the details of a death, particularly a violent one, of their children.”
Mrs Wallace had been due to meet her daughter in Paris next month but travelled to London when Sara was reported missing.
Sara, who was single and from Brisbane, was later confirmed to have died.
The inquest heard grim accounts of the injuries that led to the deaths of five of the eight victims of the attack.
Fellow Australian Kirsty Boden, 28, French chef Sebastien Belanger, 36, British entrepreneur James McMullan, 32, and Spanish banker Ignacio Echeverria, 39, were stabbed with 12-inch ceramic knives.
Mr McMullan, from Brent, north-west London, bled to death after being stabbed in the chest. His body was found outside the Post Office in Borough High Street and later identified by his father,
Mr Belanger, originally from Angers, western France, was drinking at the nearby Boro Bistro when he was repeatedly stabbed in the chest, the inquest heard.
His body was found in Borough Market and identified by dental records and fingerprints while his family spent days unaware of his fate.
Nurse Kirsty Boden, from Loxton, South Australia, ran towards the danger in a selfless attempt to save people. She was found in the shadow of Southwark Cathedral with a stab wound to her chest and was later identified by DNA and dental records.
Spanish HSBC analyst Mr Echeverria was knifed in the back on London Bridge, having tried to defend a woman with his skateboard.
His body was identified by his brother several days later. Members of the Spanish Consulate attended the inquest on behalf of his family.
Armed police shot dead terror ringleader Khuram Butt, 27, and his accomplices Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22.
The inquest was suspended while the investigations continue.
However, a hearing will take place today into the deaths of Canadian Christine Archibald, 30, and Frenchmen Xavier Thomas, 45, and Alexandre Pigeard, 26.