London Bridge attack inquests: CCTV shows stab victims fighting Isis terrorists as passers-by throw chairs
Knife-wielding attackers pelted with bottles, chairs and bread crates, after being punched and kicked by victims
Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world
Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email
Inquests into the London Bridge terror attack have been shown CCTV of victims fighting terrorists even after they were stabbed.
The Old Bailey was played graphic footage showing PC Charlie Guenigault kicking ringleader Khuram Butt as he was being knifed on the ground.
Another clip showed a man throwing a drink over attacker Rachid Redouane after being stabbed in the back, as a passer-by launched a chair at terrorists.
Millwall fan Roy Larner was filmed fighting the attackers in the Black and Blue restaurant, remaining standing in a boxing stance even after being stabbed multiple times in the chest.
In the aftermath of the attack, Mr Larner said he shouted "f*** you, I'm Millwall" during the assault.
London Bridge Terror Attack
Show all 16Footage caught on CCTV cameras, dashcams, people's phones and police bodyworn cameras showed chaos as the trio of terrorists roamed around Borough Market.
The court heard that at one point, they started moving towards unarmed police officers shouting "Allah akbar".
Footage showed the officers making desperate radio calls for armed backup before turning and telling members of the public to run, fleeing with them.
An armed unit from City of London Police arrived at Borough Market shortly after, as the terrorists stabbed the last of the 56 victims killed or injured.
Even as three officers got out of their car and took aim, footage played to the Old Bailey showed members of the public standing metres away throwing missiles.
Two bakers had run to the scene with large bread crates, while drinkers were pelting them with chairs and glass bottles.
Police shouted at the public to take cover as armed officers opened fire on the terrorists in a hail of bullets.
The court heard that officers shouted warnings before Butt, Redouane and Youssef Zaghba charged towards them, still carrying their knives and wearing fake suicide vests.
The three attackers were taken down 10 minutes after starting the attack, and shot multiple times minutes later as they lay on the ground.
Footage showed Redouane's legs moving and Det Supt Becky Riggs told the court that officers feared the attackers and could detonate the vests.
They were later found to be fake by explosive ordnance disposal teams.
A man in a nearby pub was accidentally shot in the head in the fusillade but survived, the court heard.
The Old Bailey previously heard emotional tributes to the eight victims from their families.
The area around Borough Market had been swarming with Londoners and tourists on a warm summer evening, when pubs were packed out for the Champions League final.
The court heard Ignacio Echeverria, a financial crime analyst from Spain, beat the terrorists with a skateboard after seeing them attacking a woman on the ground.
Australian nurse Kirsty Boden was stabbed to death after rushing to help another victim, French waiter Alexandre Pigeard.
The court heard that the 26-year-old was attacked while “rushing to see if he could help” victims of what he believed to be an accidental crash.
French chef Sebastien Belanger, 36, had been drinking at the same restaurant and was cornered by all three of the attackers but “bravely fought back” as he was stabbed to death.
The court heard that Canadian social worker Christine Archibald, 30, had kissed her husband-to-be and told him “I love you” moments before being killed by the van.
Xavier Thomas, 45, was on the phone to his son as he walked across the River Thames on holiday with his girlfriend when he was hit by the terrorists' vehicle.
Australian au pair Sara Zelenak was on a “trip of a lifetime” when she was knifed to death while on a night out with a friend nearby, her family said.
And dual British-Filipino national James McMullan, 32, had been watching football at a pub when he went outside for a cigarette and was caught in the attack.
The attackers' deaths will be examined before a jury, in separate inquests coming after an estimated eight weeks of hearings for their victims.
Please allow a moment for the live blog to load
Mr Patterson said the UK was in a "heightened state of concern" after the Westminster and Manchester attacks
He says the attackers "acted with a degree of discipline ... often Butt was in the lead", with their knives taped to their wrists. Mr Patterson says that after more than 50 attacks, the terrorists were still "acting as a team, three on one to the very end"
Mr Patterson is asking about evidence from the Ummah Fitness Centre in Ilford, where the group trained
Mr Patterson says the attackers were "trying to cause maximum injury", with victims stabbed in the throat, neck and upper chest.
"We saw particularly in the tapas bar and Black and Blue particular targeting to the upper body," he adds. "Again and again they were targeting vulnerable blood vessels in the neck, they are trying to kill."
Mr Patterson the footage shows "just how vulnerable we are to a marauding terrorist attack"
He notes that the father of Alexandre Pigeard questioned why British police were not routinely armed, and that the issue has been considered by the National Police Chiefs' Council
The council discussed routine arming in July 2017, and the home secretary has considered the issue
Mr Patterson said unarmed officers were on the scene, carrying batons, a minute after the attack started
He said the batons were "wholly unequal to what they faced when they arrived at the scene. Had they been able to stop the attack at that stage, something like 20 people stabbed after that point may not have recieved those injuries"
D/Supt Riggs says that is speculation
"The officers had full protective equipment, but they were not armed," she adds
Mr Patterson said the extendable metal batons seen in the attack footage were "wholly useless" against the terrorists
"No matter how courageaous the officers were, would you agree they were ill-equipped to protect their fellow officers and the public," he asks
D/Supt Riggs says other officers, like armed police, have specialisms and it's a "very difficult question to answer"
D/Supt Riggs says that CS spray may have been able to assist
She says there is no evidence of reconnaisance carried out of the bridge and area before the attack
Dominic Adamson, representing the family of Xavier Thomas, is now questioning D/Supt Riggs
He says the van was on the pavement for three seconds after mounting it for the second time, and that Mr Thomas was hit at around 10.07pm
D/Supt Riggs said that witnesses saw a "body or heavy object" fall from London Bridge into the River Thames
One witness, Mr Cook, made a 999 call at 10.09pm. Mr Adamson said the recording shows Mr Cook saying: "I saw someone actually being hit and falling into the river"
The transcript is being shown to the court:
"Somebody in a van has driven across and smashed into all sorts of pedestrians on the bridge, and somebody was thrown into the, into the river so I haven't been abole to see the person in the river at all," the caller said
The operator repeated "saw someone thrown into the river" and suggestes they will contact the river boat
The caller said they were walking along London Bridge southbound when they "herard the smashes and the screams and one thing and another and I saw someone actually being hit thrown into the river and I, the person didn't swim or anything so I assume the tide is going out the body will have been carried down the river a bit. It's too bloody awful for words"
A CAD record created by police as a result of the call read "someone in van has just smashed into people on bridge", and then adds: "Caller saw someone thrown into river ... caller thinks deliberate as van serving into people along the bridge."
The inquest has the code PI/MSU - meaning "pass incident to marine support unit" at 22.11pm. Mr Thomas had been in the water for four minutes at that time
Yesterday, the inquest heard that the cause of Mr Thomas's death was recorded as immersion in water
Mr Adamson says a "structured search did not commence for 18.5 minutes after" Mr Thomas was thrown into the water
D/Supt Riggs said there were "hasty searches" before that
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments