London Bridge terror attack: Youngest victim Sara Zelenak ‘fell over in heels’, Old Bailey told

Australian au pair may have lost her balance on wet ground, police officer says

The youngest victim of the London Bridge terror attack fell over in high heels and was being helped to her feet by a man when both were fatally stabbed.

Australian au pair Sara Zelenak, 21, was out with Priscila Goncalves on the evening of 3 June 2017, when three armed terrorists crashed a hire van into pedestrians before knifing others.

When the attackers drove into bridge railings, Ms Zelenak and Ms Goncalves went to see what had happened before they heard shouts of “run”, an inquest at the Old Bailey heard.

Ms Zelenak lost her balance and fell over on the wet pavement as she tried to get out of the way.

James McMullan, 32, is thought to have tried to help her up before both were attacked with 12in blades, the inquest was told.

Erick Siguenza filmed terrified people screaming and running away as the pair were stabbed.

“As soon as the van crashed they stepped out and the driver stabbed the woman that had jumped out to get out of the way of the van crashing,” he told the court.

“That’s when they started stabbing her. I believe there was a gentleman trying to help her get up and he was stabbed as well.

“As I was recording there was a lot of screaming and just people realising what was going on and just shouting in general.”

Sara Zelenak was one of eight people killed by terrorists in the attack (PA)

Gareth Patterson QC, representing the victims’ families, said: “We also know she was wearing high heels and on the ground it was quite wet that night.

“From what you saw of this man helping her, did you get the impression she lost her balance?”

Mr Siguenza replied: “Yes. She was completely on the ground. He just grabbed her left arm and gently tried to pick her up but by then the attackers were in close proximity and that's when they started attacking.

“There was no time for him to be able to help her up because the driver and the other terrorists were already running towards them.”

Ms Zelenak was stabbed more than once and her helper, Mr McMullan, the only British victim, suffered a wound to his chest.

The Old Bailey heard how Ms Zelenak and Ms Goncalves had set out to have a drink near London Bridge and ended up at the London Grind cocktail bar.

The inquest was shown CCTV of the two friends leaving the bar just before the terrorists ploughed into pedestrians on the bridge.

Ms Goncalves is then seen in a crowd running away without her friend.

Mr Patterson QC suggested the high heels Ms Zelenak was wearing, coupled with wet weather might have caused her to suffer an ankle injury.

He said: “Maybe those two factors contributed to make her less stable than she might otherwise have been when this sudden attack came on her.”

Giving evidence, detective constable Alastair Hutchison replied: “Yes, that’s a possibility.”

Ms Goncalves told the inquest she and Ms Zelenak had decided to leave the London Grind and were walking to another bar across the road when they heard a “crash” and went to see what had happened.

“I had no idea what was going on,” she told the court. “We were together. People said run. I started to run. I thought she was with me and then I looked, she was not. Everybody was running.

Ms Goncalves tried to contact her friend on Facebook after she took refuge in a hotel but was unable to get a response.

Ms Zelenak and Mr McMullan were among eight people killed when Khuram Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, launched their van and knife rampage on London Bridge and in Borough Market.

Xavier Thomas, 45, Christine Archibald, 30, Alexandre Pigeard, 26, Kirsty Boden, 28, Sebastien Belanger, 36, and Ignacio Echeverria, 39, were also killed before their attackers were shot dead by armed police.

Additional reporting by PA