The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Manchester Arena murderer a ‘coward’ says victim’s father
The father of one of the Manchester Arena bomb victims has described feeling “kicked in the stomach” as his son’s murderer was found guilty in his absence.
Daryl Price, whose son John Atkinson was killed in the blast, branded Hashem Abedi a “coward” for failing to face up to his crimes in court.
On Tuesday, Abedi, from Manchester, was found guilty of 22 counts of murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to cause explosions.
During the seven-week Old Bailey trial, he declined to give evidence, refused to sit in the dock and sacked his defence team.
Mr Price said: “We welcome the verdict but it doesn’t change what’s happened, it won’t bring John back.
“The last few weeks have been draining, and when the jury read out their decision it felt like somebody had kicked me in the stomach.
“I was expecting it but it still knocked the wind out of me.”
“I had planned to go to London for the verdict, I wanted to look him right in the eye, but he is too much of a coward for that”.
Mr Atkinson, 28, from Manchester, had been a support worker for people with special needs.
He was among 22 men, women and children who were killed in the terror attack on May 22 2017.
He had been at the concert with his friend, Gemma O’Donnell, and was crossing the foyer when Abedi’s brother Salman, 22, detonated a homemade bomb packed with deadly shrapnel at 10.31pm.
Mr Atkinson died of his injuries soon after midnight. Ms O’Donnell survived but was very seriously injured.