Priest’s killer was cleared to work as airport baggage handler

A FRENCH Islamic State fanatic who ended up murdering a Catholic priest “easily” passed a police investigation to become an airport baggage handler, it was revealed today.

Ab d e l ma li k Pe t i t j e a n an d Ad e l Ke rm i c h e , both 1 9, we r e on terrori st watchli sts when they sl i t Fat he r Ja c ques Hamel’s t hro a t in Normandy on Tuesday.

Now it has emerged that Petitjean worked full time at Chambery airport in the Savoie region, which is used by more than 250,000 passengers a year including many Britons, until just three months ago. He started as a porter there in December after completing his bacc alaureate at the Marlioz high school in nearby Aix-les-Bains, where he lived. There have been numerous security scares at French airports over the years, and all employees are now meant to undergo stringent tests.

“Petitjean had no trouble getting through a police investigation and ps yc hol og i c a l ev a l u a t i on, ” said a source. “He was considered to be a hard-working, friendly young man who did not pose any danger to passengers or others using the airport. He got t h ro ug h the police i nv es t i g a t i o n easily.”

Petitjean left the airport in April, and last month was caught by Turkish intelligence services as he tried to join IS in Syria. Last Friday a warning was issued that Petitjean was back in France and ready to strike, and police were desperately trying to find him when he killed Father Jacques.

This morning a second video showing Petitjean calling for more attacks on France was released by IS. It came a day after another film was circulated in which Petitjean and Kermiche, who was electronically tagged since last March, were seen swearing allegiance to the terror group.

French prime minister Manuel Valls, who is facing calls to resign, today said t he a nt i - t er ro ri s m judges who l et Kermiche out of prison with the tag should not be blamed. They had to take a “different, case-by-case, approach,” he said, while admitting the decision to free Kermiche under such weak bail conditions was “a failure”.

He also said he was “open” to the idea of st o ppi ng f o re ig n f i na nc i ng for building mosques in France.