The girlfriend of London Bridge terror attack victim Jack Merritt is ‘beside herself’ over his death, her friends revealed last night as ISIS claimed responsibility for the rampage.
Veterinary science student Leanne O’Brien learned of her boyfriend’s murder just weeks after they had enjoyed a romantic trip to Seville, Spain, to celebrate his 25th birthday.
In a cruel irony, Mr Merritt was killed at a criminology event by one of the convicts he was trying to rehabilitate: 28-year-old terrorist Usman Khan, who was shot dead by police after killing two and injuring three on Friday.
Mr Merritt believed that Khan’s apparent redemption was a powerful case study of how a life could be changed for the better, but it now appears his rehabilitation was a sham intended to hide his murderous intentions.
Yesterday tributes poured in for Mr Merritt, a Cambridge University graduate who was hailed by his father as a ‘beautiful spirit who always took the side of the underdog’.
Tragedy: Veterinary science student Leanne O’Brien learned of her boyfriend’s Jack Merritt’s murder just weeks after they had enjoyed a romantic trip to Seville, Spain, to celebrate his 25th birthday (pictured)
The girlfriend of London Bridge terror attack victim Jack Merritt is ‘beside herself’ over his death, her friends revealed last night
Jack Merritt is pictured above with his father David, and mother, right. Mr Merritt was the course co-ordinator for Learning Together, an education scheme run by the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Criminology that killer Khan had attended on Friday
Veterinary science student Leanne O’Brien, pictured, was said to be ‘beside herself’ at her boyfriend’s death
Last night friends recalled how Mr Merritt had possessed a sense of social justice from a young age. ‘He was always sticking up for the little guy,’ said one. Friends of Leanne O’Brien said she was ‘beside herself’.
His father David said yesterday that Mr Merritt ‘would not wish his death to be used as the pretext for more draconian sentences or for detaining people unnecessarily’.
‘R.I.P. Jack: you were a beautiful spirit who always took the side of the underdog,’ he said.
Jack’s godfather Paul Brooker described his death as ‘a sickening waste of a young, hugely talented life’, adding he was ‘smart, funny and loved his work’.
Neighbour Dawn Marr, 80, said: ‘Jack was such a fine young man. His father was very proud of him. I used to babysit for him and his brother. It’s a terrible loss.’
And another neighbour, who asked not to be named, added: ‘It is devastating news. We’re in the process of letting our children know.
‘They went to school with Jack, so it’s all very sad and shocking.’
Mr Merritt had studied law at Manchester University before taking a postgraduate course in philosophy at Cambridge.
At the time of his death he was working as course co-ordinator for a Cambridge criminology department initiative called Learning Together, in which students in universities and prisons ‘learn degree-level material alongside one another’.
ISIS has tonight claimed responsibility for a terror attack in which Usman Khan (left) stabbed Cambridge graduate Jack Merritt (right) and several others in a knife rampage near London Bridge
Jack was the course co-ordinator for Learning Together, the education scheme run by the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Criminology where Uzman Khan had been on Friday afternoon
Jack (pictured with his girlfriend Leanne O’Brien) studied law at Manchester University before doing an postgraduate degree at Cambridge
Khan (circled) was confronted by several heroic members of the public, including one who used a Narwhal tusk to try and restrain him
The Learning Together Network is a prison-based education initiative with the emphasis on ‘being, belonging, becoming’
British rapper David Orobosa Omoregie, known only as Dave, also paid tribute to the graduate on Twitter
On Twitter he had shared details of his work with prisoners, including the ‘exciting news’ that he was ‘welcoming students with criminal convictions’ to study for degrees.
They included his killer Usman Khan, who had been convicted of terrorism offences in 2012 but released from prison on licence in December 2018 and was wearing a tag.
According to the Learning Together schedule of the day, Khan began his terror spree during the storytelling and creative writing session.
Academics and criminal justice campaigners tweeted about the day at the grade II listed building and a photograph was posted online of the gathering.
The 28-year-old attacker is understood to have been invited to share his experience of prison and wore black clothing and sand-coloured boots, according to The Times.
He reportedly started ‘lashing out’ in a room downstairs and was heading upstairs when he was tackled by the other conference-goers and ‘bundled out’ of the front door past a room of unarmed people.
Khan was part of an al Qaida-inspired terror group that plotted to bomb the London Stock Exchange and build a terrorist training camp on land in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
A list of other potential targets included the names and addresses of the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Boris Johnson who was then the Mayor of London, two rabbis, and the US Embassy in London.
Left: One of the heroes of the London Bridge attack was a convicted murderer out on day release, James Ford. Right: Amanda Champion – who had the mental age of a 15-year-old – was found strangled and with her throat cut in Kent
The Queen yesterday praised the ‘brave individuals who put their own lives at risk to selflessly help and protect others’ during Friday’s attack. Pictured: Luckasz pointing the tusk at the attacker
Thomas Gray (left) and Stevie Hurst (right), who both work at Small Car Big City, were two of the heroes who came together to disarm the attacker
The letter written by, terror suspect, Usman Khan, 28, in 2012 from Belmarsh Prison, London, whilst in prison for terror offences, in which he requested to be sent on a deradicalisation course, to better understand Islam and show he had changed
Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives at the scene of the stabbing on London Bridge, in which two people were killed
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick, and Home Secretary Priti Patel (together right) joined Boris Johnson (left) at the scene on Saturday
The group was also linked to Anjem Choudary by a mobile phone seized from an address of one of the plotters, which contained material relating to protests by the banned Al-Muhajiroun group the hate preacher founded.
In a 2012 letter which emerged yesterday, the terrorist begged to be shown mercy as he asked for a course to be arranged so that Khan could ‘properly learn Islam and its teachings, and I can prove I don’t carry the extreme views which I might have carried before.’
He writes: ‘I am much more mature and want to live my life as a good Muslim and also a good citizen of Britain.
‘So if you could arrange something for me and send me the details, this would be truly appreciated.’
Yesterday a furious political row broke out over how Khan had been allowed back on the streets.
In February 2012, Khan was handed an indeterminate sentence for public protection, with a minimum term of eight years – meaning he could have been kept in prison for as long he was deemed to be a threat to the public.
Passing judgment at the time, Mr Justice Wilkie said: ‘In my judgment, these offenders would remain, even after a lengthy term of imprisonment, of such a significant risk that the public could not be adequately protected by their being managed on licence in the community, subject to conditions, by reference to a preordained release date.’
However, the sentence was quashed at the Court of Appeal in April 2013 and he was given a determinate 16-year jail term, with a five-year extended licence period, under legislation which meant he was released automatically halfway through the sentence.
Judges including Lord Justice Leveson said at the time when reversing the original sentence that the Parole Board was best placed to decide when he would be safe to be released from jail.
But yesterday the Parole Board released a statement saying that Khan was released automatically and they did not make the decision.
Usman Khan, shot dead, lies on the ground as a police photographer records the scene at London Bridge after he killed two people
The members of Usman Khan’s Al Qaeda-inspired gang who plotted to blow up the London Stock Exchange and kill Boris Johnson. From left to right: Mohammed Moksudur Chowdhury, Mohammed Shahjahan, Shah Mohammed Rahman. Middle row: Mohibur Rahman, Gurukanth Desai, Abdul Malik Miah. Bottom row: Nazam Hussain, Usman Khan, Omar Sharif Latif
Khan, circled third from the right, had been arrested along with his Al Qaeda cell, pictured, after they were planning a pre-Christmas terror campaign in 2010. Officers had tracked the group, who included from left, Mohibur Raham, Gurukanth Desai, Abdul Miah, Usman Khan, Mohammed Chowdhury and Mohammed Shahjahan in Roath Park in November 2010
London Bridge attacker Usman Khan was a student and ‘personal friend’ of hate preacher Anjem Choudary (pictured), it emerged on Saturday
Her Majetsy said she was ‘saddened’ by the ‘terrible violence’ and is sending thoughts, prayers and sympathies to those affected
Khan, circled third from the right, had been arrested along with his Al Qaeda cell, pictured, after they were planning a pre-Christmas terror campaign in 2010. Officers had tracked the group, who included from left, Mohibur Raham, Gurukanth Desai, Abdul Miah, Usman Khan, Mohammed Chowdhury and Mohammed Shahjahan in Roath Park in November 2010
Khan (circled) was confronted by several heroic members of the public, including one who used a Narwhal tusk to try and restrain him
The Queen praised the ‘brave individuals who put their own lives at risk to selflessly help and protect others’ during the attack. Pictured: Luckasz pointing the tusk at the attacker
Luckasz’s colleague added: ‘Being stabbed didn’t stop him giving him a beating. Luckasz is a hero.’ Luckasz is thought to have suffered from cuts but is not critically injured
Thomas Gray (left) and Stevie Hurst (right), who both work at Small Car Big City, were two of the heroes who came together to disarm the attacker
Another of those who intervened in the attack on Friday was James Ford (right) – a convicted murderer who was out on day release. One brave man, later confirmed to be a British Transport Police officer, ran across the road to tackle the knifeman
Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives at the scene of the stabbing on London Bridge, in which two people were killed
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick, and Home Secretary Priti Patel (together right) joined Boris Johnson (left) at the scene
Boris Johnson talks to Cressida Dick and police officers at London Bridge, the day after two people were killed in a horrific terrorist attack
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and London police chief commissioner Cressida Dick visit the scene of the attack at London Bridge
The London Mayor has heaped praise on the police and other responders for their swift action in tackling yesterday’s attack
The UK head of counter-terrorism policing, Neil Basu, said he believed Khan had complied with an ‘extensive list of licence conditions’ following his early release.
The attack has prompted the Ministry of Justice to review the licence conditions of every convicted terrorist released from prison, which is understood to be around 70 people.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson claimed that scrapping early release from prison would have stopped Khan.
Mr Johnson said: ‘What I have seen over the last 24 hours has made me angry – it’s absolutely clear that we can’t carry on with the failed approaches of the past.’
He added: ‘If you are convicted of a serious terrorist offence, there should be a mandatory minimum sentence of 14 years – and some should never be released.
‘Further, for all terrorism and extremist offences the sentence announced by the judge must be the time actually served – these criminals must serve every day of their sentence, with no exceptions.
‘These simple changes, in line with what I’ve been saying since becoming Prime Minister, would have prevented this attack.’
Home Secretary Priti Patel blamed the last Labour government after Labour’s Yvette Cooper asked how the attacker could have been released.
She also told Jeremy Corbyn: ‘Your party changed the law in 2008 so that Khan was automatically released irrespective of the danger he posed. Very concerning that you want to be PM but don’t understand this.’
In August, Mr Johnson ordered an urgent review of sentencing policy, saying that dangerous criminals must be taken off the streets and punishments ‘truly fit the crime’ if the public was to have confidence in the justice system.
Retired police officer Justin Lightfoot, who lived near the killer in Staffordshire, said he instantly recognised Khan when a friend showed him a mugshot of the 28-year-old in a media report on Saturday morning.
Mr Lightfoot, who runs a gardening business, said he had never seen Khan, who was wearing Western clothing, carrying anything or walking with anyone else.
He said: ‘The only thing I’ve seen is him just walking past my house.
‘I’ve seen his picture this morning online and when I saw that obviously I recognised him. A friend showed me the picture and as soon as I saw it, I recognised him straight away.
Sabah Ahmedi (left) and Mansoor Clarke (right) from The Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden, South London lay flowers and pay respects at London Bridge this morning
Flowers left at London Bridge this morning following yesterday’s horrific attack which left two people dead and several injured
Crime scene tape remains on the scene, with vehicles laying abandoned on the bridge following yesterday’s horrific attack
Police officers are still on London Bridge, as Scotland Yard revealed the name of the terrorist and raids were carried out at his home in Staffordshire
A block of flats in Stafford, Staffordshire, is being searched by specialist police teams this morning, in connection with the terror attack on London Bridge yesterday
Staffordshire police officers stand guard at a property in Stafford where it is believed London Terrorist, Usman Khan, lived before his attack
Khan’s previous home in Persia Walk, Stoke-on-Trent, was bugged by police which led to his arrest for terrorism back in 2012
Another resident, whose house overlooks the flats, said: ‘I’ve certainly seen police there before, but what for I’m not sure.
‘I haven’t seen the man who lived there for at least a week or so.’
The former head of Britain’s National Counter Terrorism Security Office, Chris Phillips, said it is unreasonable to ask police and security services to keep the country safe while at the same time letting people out of prison when they are still a threat.
‘We’re playing Russian roulette with people’s lives, letting convicted, known, radicalized jihadi criminals walk about our streets,’ he said.
Last night ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that Khan was one of its fighters, but did not provide any evidence.
It added that the attack was made in response to ISIS calls to target countries that have been part of a coalition fighting the jihadist group.
The attack coincided with a similar rampage in Holland which saw three children stabbed on a shopping street in The Hague early on Friday evening, Dutch police said.
And in Paris, the Gare Du Nord train station was briefly evacuated after an alleged explosive device was found in an unattended bag.
Yesterday the Queen paid tribute to those who died as well as those who bravely fought the attacker.
She said: ‘Prince Philip and I have been saddened to hear of the terror attacks at London Bridge.
‘We send our thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies to all those who have lost loved ones and who have been affected by yesterday’s terrible violence.
‘I express my enduring thanks to the police and emergency services, as well as the brave individuals who put their own lives at risk to selflessly help and protect others.’
The second person who died, a woman, has not yet been named and three people are being treated for injuries.
The area where the attack took place is still cordoned off, with a blue forensic tent and several forensic officers on the scene
Forensic officers work at the scene of the stabbing on London Bridge, in which two people were killed, carrying a bag of evidence
A postman who walked past the police raid said ‘I saw lots of police turn up and go in the back entrance at about 5.30pm’
Staffordshire police are passing all enquiries to the Met Police after raiding the terrorist’s home in Staffordshire this morning
Khan, pictured surrounded by police yesterday, had been convicted in 2012 of plotting a Mumbai-style terror attack as well as planning to kill the then Mayor of London Boris Johnson
Khan was subject to a curfew and was wearing an electronic tag following his release from prison on licence in December 2018
A plain clothes police officer can be seen holding a knife on London Bridge during the incident, which left two people dead and several injured
Details also emerged yesterday of how members of the public had helped to subdue Khan on London Bridge.
Dramatic video footage showed him being tackled to the ground by at least six members of the public. Witnesses saw the knifeman being wrestled to the ground by members of the public before armed-response officers confronted him at 2.03pm and shot him dead.
A kitchen worker called Lukasz, who worked at Fishmongers’ Hall where the attack broke out, grabbed a narwhal tusk to restrain the attacker.
His colleague, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Times: ‘Lukasz grabbed a nearby pole and ran at him, getting stabbed in the hand in the process but continued to pin him down.
‘Being stabbed didn’t stop him giving him a beating. Lukasz is a hero.’
Lukasz is thought to have suffered from cuts but is not critically injured.
One man chased the attacker with a fire extinguisher while another used a Narwhal whale tusk to restrain him.
It also emerged that one of the men who tackled Khan was convicted murderer James Ford, who strangled 21-year-old Amanda Champion to death in July 2003.
Tour guide Stevie Hurst also helped restrain the attacker, kicking him in the head.
He said: ‘We saw a guy being accosted to the floor.
‘Everyone was just on top of him trying to bundle him to the ground. We saw that the knife was still in his hand… I just put a foot in to try and kick him in the head.
‘We were trying to do as much as we could to try and dislodge the knife from his hand so he wouldn’t harm anyone else.
‘The guys that were there were absolutely amazing. Heroes beyond belief.’
The attacker was thought to have had one of the two knives strapped to his arm and had also been wearing a fake explosives device, which was strapped around his waist.
The terrorist was also subdued with a fire extinguisher while another man, later confirmed to be a British Transport Police officer, ran across the road to tackle the knifeman.
Police evacuated thousands of people from the area fearing secondary attacks, but they now believe Khan had been working on his own
The PM also backed police for shooting the terrorist dead. ‘The police had very good reasons to think the attacker presented a real and deadly threat. They had to make split second decisions,’ he said.
‘I know the overwhelming majority of the country will join me in giving them our absolute support.’
In a speech on Sunday, Mr Corbyn will also back police, saying: ‘If police believe an attacker is wearing a suicide vest and innocent lives are at risk, then it is right they are able to use lethal force.’
Metropolitan Police counterterrorism chief Neil Basu said the suspect appeared to be wearing a bomb vest but it turned out to be ‘a hoax explosive device.’
Basu said officers were keeping ‘an open mind as to any motive.’
‘A number of other people received injuries during this incident. As soon as we can provide further updates on their condition, we will,’ he told the press conference.
‘Our heartfelt sympathies go out to everybody who has been involved in this and is anxiously waiting for information on their loved ones.
‘As soon as we can get that information, we will get it to you.’
Terrifying new footage shows moment hero bystanders armed with a fire extinguisher and a NARWHAL TUSK chase knife-wielding terrorist across London Bridge before he is sprayed with jets of water and grappled to the ground
By Rebecca Camber, Crime Correspondent for the Daily Mail and Terri-Ann Williams for MailOnline
This is the moment brave bystanders armed with a fire extinguisher and Narwhal tusk confronted the London Bridge attacker during his terrifying rampage on Friday.
Two people were killed and up to twelve were injured after Usman Khan, 28, attacked innocent people on the north side of London Bridge just before 2pm.
Video footage showed the attacker running across London Bridge wielding two kitchen knives.
Several members of the public chase Khan, before tackling him and disarming him.
One man used a fire extinguisher while another man ripped the tusk of a Narwhal whale off a wall and jabbed it in the direction of the attacker.
Members of the public were seen cornering the terrorist on London Bridge this afternoon
Thomas Gray (left) and Stevie Hurst (right), who both work at Small Car Big City, were two of the heroes who came together to disarm the attacker
Another of those who intervened in the attack on Friday was James Ford (right) – a convicted murderer who was out on day release. One brave man, later confirmed to be a British Transport Police officer, ran across the road to tackle the knifeman
The terrorist was then bundled to the ground as other people waded in, while another man hurried away with his knife.
One witness at the scene said the man carrying the tusk had taken it from Fishmongers’ Hall and ran out with it after learning of the incident.
Other heroes included a tour guide who helped disarm Khan.
Thomas Gray, 24, and a colleague had just finished lunch in Borough Market when Khan went on his rampage.
The pair, who had been driving tourists around the capital in classic Mini Coopers, had been travelling over London Bridge to pick up some more customers at a hotel when they saw the knifeman being pinned to the floor.
Mr Gray and his colleague then bravely got out of their vehicles to help, as three other men attempted to keep the attacker on the ground.
Another man who dived in to help was convicted murderer James Ford.
Now 42, Ford was jailed for life – with a minimum of 15 years – in April 2004 for the murder of a 21-year-old with learning difficulties.
Amanda Champion – who had the mental age of a 15-year-old – was found strangled and with her throat cut on waste ground near her home in Ashford, Kent, the previous July.
On Friday, he tackled Khan and was one of the people who fought to save the lives of his victims.
Tour guide Stevie Hurst also helped restrain the attacker, kicking him in the head.
He said: ‘We saw a guy being accosted to the floor
‘Everyone was just on top of him trying to bundle him to the ground. We saw that the knife was still in his hand… I just put a foot in to try and kick him in the head.
‘We were trying to do as much as we could to try and dislodge the knife from his hand so he wouldn’t harm anyone else.
‘The guys that were there were absolutely amazing. Heroes beyond belief.’
The attacker was thought to have had one of the two knives strapped to his arm and had also been wearing a fake explosives device, which was strapped around his waist.
Around six members of the public worked to disarm the attacker after he went on a rampage outside Bank station and Fishmongers’ Hall on the north side of the bridge, killing two. Tha man pictured took a knife from the attacker
One man pointed a Narwhal tusk at the terrorist while another sprayed the fire extinguisher at him
He was a convicted terrorist who had served time in prison and was wearing an electronic tag at the time of the attack.
The paper added he was attending a Cambridge University conference on prisoner rehabilitation being held at Fishmongers’ Hall and ‘threatened to blow up’ the building.
Speaking to MailOnline, one witness said more shots had been fired after the terrorist was shot.
Deborah Simmons had been attending a hospital appointment with her mother and had been on the first bus on the bridge, heading towards Liverpool Street.
Deborah, who is in her 50s said she saw the man being shot and was then ushered off the bus towards The Shard.
‘We all thought we were going to die, there were people with children running’.
She added that once her and her mother had reached the south of the bridge she heard around 10-15 shots. She also said that one man had ran up to her and her mother, claiming ‘someone had a shooter’.
The Met police were unable to clarify whether or not extra shots had been fired.
The brave people who chased the terrorist pulled him down to the floor and waited for police to arrive
Police and emergency vehicles gather at Leadenhall near London Bridge as the force continued to deal with the fall out of this afternoon’s attack
Metropolitan Police Chief Cressida Dick confirmed this evening that two stabbing victims had died and three injured people were being treated in a hospital.
After the brave bystanders tackled the man to the ground police intervened, pulling the heroes off the terrorist and getting them to safety.
The officers were then seen lining up in close range of the man, before he was shot.
The violence erupted two-and-a-half years after a van and knife attack in the same area killed eight people, and less than two weeks before Britain holds a national election.
The incident started close to London’s main financial hub where thousands of bankers and finance workers travel every day.
It started outside Grade II listed building Fishmongers’ Hall. Many buildings in the financial district were on high security this afternoon as roads were closed in the area, many workers were also stood outside their buildings as officers cordoned off the roads.
Extra police officers will be on patrol across London in the wake of the attack, while British Transport Police said there also would be more officers on the transport network including firearms officers and other specialist teams.
Armed police were seen patrolling the streets early this evening with emergency vehicles being parked up on both sides of the road
Forensic officers are seen near the site of the incident early this evening. One office seems to be holding a light up while the other takes a picture
In a show of solidarity to those who lost their lives and were caught up in the attack the main political parties temporarily suspended campaigning in London as a mark of respect.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that ‘to the best of our knowledge, the incident has been contained’ but that details were still emerging.
Johnson’s office said the prime minister would chair a meeting of the government’s emergency committee, COBRA, on Friday evening.
The map above shows the the journey the attacker took from the north side of London Bridge before crossing over
Two young women were seen running near Borough Market today after learning of the attack
One man used a Narwhal tusk to fight off the attacker which he had taken from Fishmongers’ Hall
Metropolitan Police counterterrorism chief Neil Basu said the suspect appeared to be wearing a bomb vest but it turned out to be ‘a hoax explosive device.’
Basu said officers were keeping ‘an open mind as to any motive.’
‘A number of other people received injuries during this incident. As soon as we can provide further updates on their condition, we will,’ he told the press conference.
‘Our heartfelt sympathies go out to everybody who has been involved in this and is anxiously waiting for information on their loved ones.
‘As soon as we can get that information, we will get it to you.’
A large police cordon remains in place around the north side of London Bridge following the knife attack.
Pedestrian and vehicle access along Upper Thames Street, which runs underneath part of the bridge, is blocked by police at its junction with Swan Lane through to Lower Thames Street at its junction with Fish Hill Street.
The pedestrian cordon extends north-east to Fenchurch Street, at its junction with Philpot Lane, and north to Gracechurch Street, at its junction with Bell Inn Yard.
On the northwest side on the bridge, the pedestrian cordon extends to Cannon Street at its junction with Bush Lane. Monument Station, which is within the cordon, remains closed.
Convicted murderer who helped pin down tackle London Bridge terrorist was at academic event on day release from prison for killing 21-year-old woman with learning difficulties by slitting her throat
A convicted murderer on day release who helped pin down the London Bridge terrorist slit the throat of a 21-year-old woman with learning difficulties.
It is believed James Ford rushed to the scene and tried to save the life of a woman victim of the terrorist.
Now 42, Ford was jailed for life – with a minimum of 15 years – in April 2004 for the murder of a 21-year-old with learning difficulties.
Amanda Champion – who had the mental age of a 15-year-old – was found strangled and with her throat cut on waste ground near her home in Ashford, Kent, the previous July.
Left: One of the members of the public involved in yesterday’s London Bridge attack was a convicted murderer out on day release, James Ford. Right: Amanda Champion – who had the mental age of a 15-year-old – was found strangled and with her throat cut in Kent
Police had no leads in the case until a Samaritans worker broke the organisation’s strict confidentiality policy and revealed that Ford, a factory worker and amateur wrestler, had called and confessed: ‘I’ve killed a girl.’
In the month after murdering Amanda, Ford phoned the charity line 45 times, telling staff he was feeling suicidal. After he admitted his crime, the Samaritans worker – who was later forced out of his job – decided to go to police.
Amanda’s family had tried to block Ford’s parole, and only found out he had been released from his sentence in a call from their police liaison officer.
Whitehall sources confirmed that Ford – who had been serving the final days of his sentence at HMP Standford Hill, an open prison in Kent – was on London Bridge yesterday.
Video filmed at the scene shows at least four people struggling with a man at London Bridge
Amanda’s aunt Angela Cox, 65, was left shocked and angry after the phone call from Kent Police.
Despite Ford’s part in disarming the knifeman, she said: ‘He is not a hero. He is a murderer out on day release, which us as a family didn’t know anything about. He murdered a disabled girl. He is not a hero, absolutely not.
‘The police liaison officer called me saying he was on the TV. I am so angry. They let him out without even telling us. Any of my family could have been in London and just bumped into him.
‘It was a hell of a shock. It is a horrible thing. She said, ‘Have you heard about the incident in London today?’ and I hadn’t. She said, ‘Put in on now and you will see James Ford on the telly.’
‘She said, ‘Don’t worry, it is not him that’s done anything, he’s there and he is being classed as a hero.’ For him to be called a hero – he is not, he is a cold-blooded murderer. For no reason whatsoever, he just went out and murdered a disabled person. I don’t care what he’s done today, he’s a murderer. He is scum. Amanda was my niece and she was vulnerable and he took her life. He knew what he was doing. People don’t change.’
Ford has never revealed his motive for killing Amanda.
A judge told him: ‘What you did was an act of wickedness.
‘You clearly have an interest in the macabre and also an obsession with death including murder by throat cutting.
‘Amanda happened to be walking through that area of woodland at the wrong time. You grabbed hold of her, strangled her and cut her throat, causing her to suffer a terrible and lonely death.’
A Kent Police spokesman said at the time: ‘James Ford is a very dangerous man.’
Last night the Ministry of Justice declined to comment.
‘My friend died in my arms’: Inside the academic day out that turned to tragedy when terrorist stabbed two people to death in rampage at rehabilitation conference called Learning Together
London Bridge attacker Usman Khan attended a workshop on storytelling and creative writing moments before he began his attack.
Fishmongers’ Hall hosted a conference on prisoner rehabilitation run by academics at the University of Cambridge’s criminology institute.
Former prisoner Usman Khan was invited to the ‘Learning Together’ fifth anniversary event on the north side of London Bridge which included other former inmates and prison staff.
Academics and criminal justice campaigners tweeted about the day at the grade II listed building and a photograph was posted online of the gathering.
The photograph posted online during the Cambridge University prisoner rehabilitation group at Fishmongers’ Hall yesterday
The 28-year-old attacker is understood to have been invited to share his experience of prison and wore black clothing and sand-coloured boots, according to The Times.
Armed police take aim at terrorist Usman Khan on London Bridge
A witness named Coralie said around 100 guests and 50 staff were in attendance.
Khan returned to the hall via the grand staircase after the morning session where he later threatened to blow up the hall, a member of staff said.
The alumni celebration was torn apart when attackers reportedly burst into the hall through the kitchen, according to The Telegraph.
Khan went on his killing spree brandishing two large kitchen knives, leaving a woman seriously injured by the entrance.
A witness described seeing ‘two, three people stabbed’ inside the hall. One had a ‘minor injury’ while the other two were ‘proper bleeding’.
Several people were stabbed as they tried to fight the attacker but a man and woman were killed in the attack.
Coralie said the men broke through the doors ‘very close to 2 o’clock’. She said she only saw one attacker but believes there were three.
A colleague of Coralie, named only as Luckasz, was stabbed ‘trying to fight with the three aggressors’.
Coralie recalled how one woman ran towards her after she was stabbed in the arm as the hall descended into panic.
She said she ‘heard about seven gunshots’ during the evacuation which came from outside the building.
A friend of kitchen worker Luckasz, Jordan, who works as a chef in the hall, said: ‘A mate in the kitchen tells me the man gunned down gained access and attacked a few workers with a knife.’
He described how Luckasz took on one of the attackers and is in a stable condition after being stabbed in the hand.
Jordan tweeted: ‘A good lifelong friend Luckasz was stabbed. Luckasz took on the attacker, being stabbed didn’t stop him giving him a beating from what I’m told.’
Attendees at the conference were led out of the hall by police, some with blood on their clothes.
As they were escorted out by officers they were told to ‘look up’ and ‘specifically told not to look down’, a member of staff told The Times.
‘Some did and saw the woman’s body [by the door]’.
The survivors were taken by police to the Salvation Army international headquarters to be interviewed.
Metropolitan Police tweeted this morning: ‘Detectives investigating the attack near London Bridge are appealing for anyone with any information to come forward’
One told how his friend has been killed in the attack and said: ‘My friend died in my arms. I just want him back.’
Metropolitan Police tweeted this morning: ‘Detectives investigating the attack near London Bridge are appealing for anyone with any information to come forward.
‘In particular, officers would like to speak to anyone who was at Fishmongers’ Hall yesterday.’
Prison reform activist and poet Bryonn Bain attended the conference and led a conference on criminal justice
He tweeted that he had been evacuated to a survivors centre and added: ‘I’m ok. Be grateful for every day.’
The five minutes of terror that started at Fishmongers’ Hall at 13:58pm on the north side of London Bridge
Professor Stephen Toope, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, said he was ‘devastated’ that an event organised by its Institute of Criminology was targeted in the attack.
He said: ‘I am devastated to learn that yesterday’s hateful attack on London Bridge may have been targeted at staff, students and alumni attending an event organised by the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Criminology.
‘We are in touch with the Metropolitan Police, and awaiting further details of the victims.
‘We mourn the dead and we hope for a speedy recovery for the injured. Our thoughts are with all their families and friends.’
It is not yet known if the victims were also attending the event.
Learning Together was set up in 2014 by University of Cambridge academics Ruth Armstrong and Amy Ludlow from the Faculty of Law and Institute of Criminology.
A University of Cambridge spokesman said: ‘We are gravely concerned at reports that University of Cambridge staff, students and alumni were caught up in the incident at London Bridge.
‘We are urgently seeking clarification and further details. Our thoughts are with all those who have been affected by these terrible events.’
Coracle Inside, a secure digital channel for education providers to access the prison estate, tweeted: ‘Thinking of Learning Together at Fishmongers Hall today and hoping everyone is safe.