Townsville Bulletin

Aussie on the mend

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who was visiting London with his wife Melissa to celebrate their 25th anniversar­y.

The pair were mowed down by Masood on Westminste­r Bridge. Mr Cochran was killed instantly and Mrs Cochran was badly injured.

A harrowing photograph of her lying in a pool of blood among scattered tourist postcards became the defining image of the devastatin­g horror of the attack and ran on front pages of newspapers around the world.

Mrs Cochran was said to be distraught but in a stable condition in hospital, suffering serious injuries including a broken leg and broken ribs.

Hundreds of police and agents from British spy agency MI5 have been deployed in London and Masood’s home city of Birmingham.

Masood’s mother Janet Ajao, 69, was spoken to by police at the home she shares with her husband, Masood’s stepfather Phillip, in Trelech, in southwest Wales.

She declined to speak to the media, with police saying she was “too upset’’ to talk about the incident.

Terror group Islamic State claimed credit for the Westminste­r attack, describing Masood as one of its “soldiers’’.

However, police are investigat­ing whether career criminal Masood, who had worked in Saudi Arabia, was connected to IS or if he had self- radicalise­d after reading propaganda material online.

Another victim of his atrocity, police constable Keith Palmer, 48 — who had a fiveyear- old daughter — was remembered by his family as a “wonderful dad and husband”.

“A loving son, brother and uncle. A long- time supporter of Charlton FC. Dedicated to his job and proud to be a police officer, brave and courageous,’’ the family said in a statement.

They said PC Palmer was “a friend to everyone who knew him — he will be deeply missed. We love him so much.”

PC Palmer challenged Masood as he rushed the entrance of Westminste­r, despite being unarmed. He was brutally stabbed and died despite medical assistance from police, doctors, paramedics and former soldier and Counter- Terrorism Minister Tobias Ellwood.

Mr Ellwood was among those who shed tears in the House of Commons yesterday as Prime Minister Theresa May described the fallen officer as “every inch the hero”.

“His actions will never be forgotten,’’ she said.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said PC Palmer had given his life “in defence of the public and of our democracy’’.

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