Terror victim helped attacker catch train
A victim of the Fishmongers’ Hall terror attack stepped in to help the knifeman find his way to London after his train was cancelled, an inquest heard. Jack Merritt, a 25-year-old Cambridge University graduate, was killed by Usman Khan at a prisoner rehabilitation conference near London Bridge, in 2019. The terrorist began “panicking” and behaving in a “very erratic” way when his morning train to Euston was cancelled, the hearing at London’s Guildhall was told.
A VICTIM of the Fishmongers’ Hall terror attack stepped in to help the attacker find his way to London after his train was cancelled, an inquest heard.
Jack Merritt, a 25-year-old Cambridge University graduate, was killed by Usman Khan at a prisoner rehabilitation conference at Fishmongers’ Hall, near London Bridge, in 2019.
Mr Merritt, who this week was praised as a “force for good in the world” and a “true visionary” in his work of criminal justice reform, worked with Khan after his 2018 release from prison for terror offences.
On the day of the attack, Khan left his home in Stafford to attend a workshop run by Mr Merritt and Simon Larmour of the Learning Together charity.
Mr Larmour told the inquest that Khan had called him “panicking”, as his 7.39am train to London Euston had been cancelled.
“He was very erratic,” Mr Larmour said. “I was trying to understand what was going on and it was hard to understand him. He kept just rambling on.”
Mr Merritt, who was standing next to Mr Larmour as he took the call, stepped in to help Khan find another train route to London. Khan later boarded another train and sounded “more relaxed” as he started his journey, Mr Larmour said.
Shortly before 2pm, Khan launched his attack in Fishmongers’ Hall, armed with two knives which he used to stab Mr Merritt 12 times.
Doctors tried to save Mr Merritt’s life by beginning open heart surgery in the street outside, but he was declared dead shortly after 3pm.
The evidence formed part of the third day of the inquest into the death of Mr Merritt and Saskia Jones, Khan’s second victim. The convicted terrorist also targeted Isobel Rowbotham, a student at Anglia Ruskin University who worked with Mr Merritt and Ms Jones and knew of Khan before the attack.
Miss Rowbotham told the inquest she saw Khan walking towards her with two large knives and pleaded “No, Usman, please don’t” before he repeatedly stabbed her. “When it was obvious that he wasn’t going to stop, I just tried to hunch and protect myself,” she said. “It felt more like punches, just a lot of repeated punches.
“Then he left. I remember his final stabs were in my neck. It felt like he thought they were the final stabs, like they were intended to finish me.”
Ama Otchere, a housekeeper at Fishmongers’ Hall, described the moment she saw Khan leave the male lavatories after stabbing Mr Merritt. He put his finger to his lips, to tell her to be quiet, she said, then turned to Ms Jones, who was putting her coat away in the cloakroom, and stabbed her in the neck while reciting lines from the Koran in Arabic.
The inquest continues.