Park terror suspect ‘cried to Allah as he knifed men’

‘His mental health is deteriorating’

A LIBYAN refugee shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ as he knifed three men to death in a twominute rampage, a court heard yesterday.

Khairi Saadallah, 25, is alleged to have bought the murder weapon – a large kitchen knife – from a supermarket the day before the attack.

Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard how the following day – June 20 – he walked from his home in Reading to a park in the town centre where he stabbed six men.

Jan Newbold, prosecuting, said Saadallah then fled the park and discarded the knife. But he was arrested minutes later after an offduty police officer who was in the park saw what had happened, called 999 and followed him.

The defendant was questioned under the Terrorism Act before being charged on Saturday. Wearing a grey prison-issue tracksuit and blue face mask, he appeared in court via video-link accused of murdering James Furlong, 36, Joe Ritchie-Bennett, 39, and David Wails, 49.

He is also accused of the attempted murder of Stephen Young, Patrick Edwards, and Nishit Nisudan.

The prosecutor said: ‘The day before the incident Saadallah was seen to purchase a knife from a local supermarket, which the police say was used as the murder weapon.’

At 6.10pm on June 20, he was seen leaving his flat and walking towards Forbury Gardens. Before entering, he discarded his rucksack and mobile phone. Once inside the park, which was filled with families on a ‘pleasant Saturday evening’, he moved towards a group of seven friends sitting on the grass.

Scientist Mr Wails was knifed in the back, while history teacher Mr Furlong and pharmaceutical worker Mr Ritchie-Bennett, a US citizen, were stabbed in the neck.

All three were declared dead at the scene. Another member of the group, Mr Young, needed 28 stitches after suffering a ‘serious and deep’ cut to the forehead.

During the attack, Saadallah was ‘heard to shout words to the effect of Allahu Akbar’ – meaning god is great – the prosecutor said.

He allegedly then chased two other men as they ran away before turning his attention to a group of five friends sitting nearby.

Mr Edwards was stabbed in the back and Mr Nisudan suffered wounds to his face and hand. Saadallah was arrested at 7.02pm on nearby Friar Street. All three injured men have since been released from hospital.

Appearing via video-link at Coventry Magistrates’ Court, he spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, and that he lived in Reading. He did not enter pleas.

Defence lawyer Shibil Hammudi said the defendant’s ‘mental health is deteriorating and it is not possible to take instructions’.

But he said Saadallah – who moved to the UK in 2012 and was granted asylum in 2018 – had given ‘a full account during interview’.

Following the ten-minute hearing, Emma Arbuthunot, the chief magistrate, remanded him in custody to appear at the Old Bailey tomorrow.