Westminster jihadi Khalid Masood took steroids before he mowed down four pedestrians and stabbed a police officer in the horrific terror attack
Westminster jihadi Khalid Masood took steroids before he mowed down four pedestrians and stabbed a police officer in the horrific terror attack.
Masood, 52, was shot dead by police after he drove a rental car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before fatally stabbing PC Keith Palmer, 48.
Masood, who was born in Kent, may have taken performance enhancing drugs hours before he launched the rampage on Westminster Bridge, a pre-hearing inquest at the Old Bailey was told.
Evidence of rage-inducing substances were found in a urine sample taken from Masood’s dead body after he killed PC Palmer and four pedestrians at 2.40pm on March 22.
The families of his victims today called for internet giants to police terrorist material online and questioned why apps like WhatsApp and Telegram require end-to-end encryption.
They also asked that upcoming inquests into the terror attack to investigate whether Masood, 52, was radicalised online or in prison.
Gareth Patterson, QC, representing the victims, said: ‘Why it is that radicalisation material continues to be freely available on the internet we don’t understand.
‘This particular attacker used WhatsApp to send a jihadi document without any difficulty.
Evidence of rage-inducing substances were found in a urine sample taken from Masood’s dead body (pictured) after he killed PC Palmer and four pedestrians at 2.40pm on March 22
Policeman PC Keith Palmer and teacher Aysha Frade were among the victims of the Westminster terror attack
‘We just don’t understand why it is necessary for WhatsApp and Telegram and these sort of media applications to have end-to-end encryption.’
Lawyers representing the Home Office said the issue of end-to-end encryption is too broad for an inquest and is a matter of ‘legislation and social policy’.
Masood was shot dead after ramming a hired Hyundai 4×4 into at least 35 people on the bridge and leaving the vehicle to stab PC Palmer to death by the Palace of Westminster.
Spanish teacher and mother-of-two Aysha Frade, 43 from London, US tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, and Romanian tourist Andreea Cristea, 31, died of their injuries after Masood crashed into them.
Judge Mark Lucraft, QC, will preside over inquests into all the deaths, which are due to start at the Old Bailey on 10 September.
‘The lives of many were torn apart by less than two minutes of high and terrible drama. Can I start by expressing my condolences to the families,’ he said.
The scene by Westminster Bridge after Khalid Masood’s murderous rampage on May 22
Romanian national Andreea Cristea and retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes also died
Kurt Cochran, who was visiting England with his wife Melissa, was also among the victims
A submission by Jonathan Hough, QC, assisting the coroner, read: ‘A urine sample from Khalid Masood provided evidence of anabolic steroids having been taken in the hours or days prior to his death.
‘The sample analysis is attested to by a forensic toxicologist.
‘A more specialist pharmaceutical toxicologist has been instructed to prepare a report addressing how steroid use may have affected Khalid Masood.’
The whole incident was witnessed by the Met’s Acting Commissioner Craig Mackey, who was waiting to leave the House of Commons in a car with his driver and personal assistant.
Detective Superintendent John Crossley of the Counter Terrorism Command outlined the incident to Westminster Coroner’s Court as the inquest into the deaths of the victims was formally opened.
DSI Crossley told the inquest the incident lasted 82 seconds and was recorded on CCTV footage.