Risk posed by terrorist before Reading attacks to face inquest scrutiny

The risk posed by a triple murderer before he carried out the Reading terror attacks will come under heavy scrutiny as full inquest proceedings are due to begin.

Libyan refugee Khairi Saadallah shouted “Allahu akhbar” as he fatally stabbed friends James Furlong, 36, Dr David Wails, 49, and Joseph Ritchie-Bennett, 39, on June 20 2020 in the town’s Forbury Gardens.

Ahead of the first day of the full inquest, Mr Furlong’s father, Gary Furlong, told reporters the victims’ families want to be “reassured that no stone has been left unturned in the quest for answers about how the murders of our loved ones could have taken place”.

Three other people – Stephen Young, Patrick Edwards and Nishit Nisudan – were also injured before Saadallah threw away the 8in (20cm) knife and ran off, pursued by an off-duty police officer.

In January 2021, the killer was handed a whole-life sentence at the Old Bailey after pleading guilty to three murders and three attempted murders.

The full inquest will look at the management of Saadallah while in prison and on probation, as well as his mental health.

The assessment and response to his risk of terrorism before the attacks will also come under scrutiny.

On Monday, the inquest at the Old Bailey will hear pen portraits of the victims.

Speaking before proceedings began, Gary Furlong said: “The families of James Furlong, Dr David Wails and Joseph Ritchie-Bennett have waited patiently for three-and-a-half years for this day to arrive.

“Today, at last, the inquest process begins. We are looking forward to finding the answers to the questions we have held on to for so long.

“We will be listening carefully as the many public bodies that have been called to give evidence at the inquest into our sons’ deaths must give a full account of their dealings with Saadallah.

“We trust Judge Coroner Sir Adrian Fulford to conduct a thorough and fearless inquest over the next six weeks.

“When the process concludes in February we want to be reassur
ed that no stone has been left unturned in the quest for answers about how the murders of our loved ones could have taken place.

“Nothing can bring back James, David and Joseph, but we owe it to them to find honest answers about whether their deaths could have been avoided and what could have been done to save us from their loss.”

Previous hearings have heard Saadallah could not be deported shortly before the attacks, as he was facing a trial accused of eating a mattress at a police station and spitting at an officer in July 2019.

Home Office staff emailed Thames Valley Police on May 28 2020, saying they planned to deport Saadallah but were unable to “until the impending charges had been dealt with”.

A previous hearing heard that other Home Office staff were arguing against deporting him, as it was dangerous for him to return to Libya at the time.

The charges were dropped on June 1 2020, shortly before the murders.

Initiating inquest proceedings in January last year, coroner Martyn Zeidman KC said he wanted to investigate “what state agencies knew about Saadallah” and the “risk he posed to the public” before the killings.