Park terror attack killer jailed for life

The terror attacker who executed three men in a park in a “swift, ruthless and brutal” knife attack has been handed a whole-life sentence.

Khairi Saadallah, 26, shouted “Allahu akhbar” as he fatally stabbed friends James Furlong , 36, Dr David Wails, 49, and Joseph Ritchie- Bennett, 39, on Ju n e 20 last year in Reading.

Three other people – Stephen Young, 51, Patrick Edwards, 29, and Nishit

Nisudan, 34 – were also injured before Saadallah threw away the eight-inch knife and ran off, pursued by an off-duty police officer.

The failed Libyan asylum seeker had launched the attacks in Forbury Gardens, Reading, as the victims were enjoying a summer evening after the first lockdown restrictions in England were relaxed.

Saadallah, of Reading, pled guilty to three murders and three attempted murders.

Yesterday, Mr

Justice

Sweeney sentenced him at the Old Bailey to a wholelife order, saying it was a “rare and exceptional” case.

The victims were each killed with a single thrust of the knife with the attack lasting less than a minute.

Mr Justice Sweeney said: “His attack on them was so swift, ruthless and brutal that none of them had any chance to react, let alone to defend themselves.

“Us i n g his combat experience in each of their cases the defendant targeted a vulnerable area where a single thrust of the knife would, as he intended, inevitably cause death.”

Since arriving in Britain in 2012, Saadallah had been convicted of various offences including theft and assault.

During his time at HMP Bullingdon, he sought out the company of radical preacher Omar Brooks, who is linked to the banned terrorist organisation Al-muhajiroun.

Saadallah was released from HMP Bullingdon on June 5 last year.

He set about researching the location for his attack, carrying out reconnaissance, and bought a knife at a Morrisons supermarket.

Saadallah had contact with his probation officer and was visited by police on June 19 over concern for his mental state.

However, a psychiatrist had since concluded that the events of June 20 were “unrelated to the effects of either mental disorder or substance misuse”.

VICTIMS: Joseph Ritchie-bennett, James Furlong and David Wails died in the attack.

Khairi Saadallah.