Dr Jonathan Moses, who graduated a year-and-a-half before terrorists struck at London Bridge on June 3 2017, spoke outside their victims’ inquest at the Old Bailey today and apologised for not being able to save them
An off-duty junior doctor begged to be allowed out of a locked-down restaurant to help victims stabbed in the London Bridge attack, shouting ‘I can’t watch them die,’ an inquest has heard.
Dr Jonathan Moses, who graduated a year-and-a-half before terrorists struck on June 3 2017, spoke outside their victims’ inquest at the Old Bailey today and apologised for not being able to save them.
The medic, who had four months’ experience working in A&E, told the hearing of how he heard ‘shouting and screaming’ as he ate dinner with a friend that night.
‘I could hear people saying, ‘Oh God, oh God, help, help, they’ve been stabbed, they’ve been stabbed’,’ he said in evidence.
The medic said he could see two people lying on the pavement outside from the upstairs window of Lobos in Borough High Street.
They are now known to be Marie Bondeville, who survived 18 stab wounds, and Spanish banker Ignacio Echeverria, 39, who had tried to protect her with his skateboard before he was fatally wounded.
Dr Moses told the hearing: ‘I immediately wanted to help so I ran. I told my friend, ‘I’m going outside to help’.
‘I ran down the stairs. The restaurant, the place was in a panic – people running away from the door, people screaming.
‘I made my way to the door, spoke to a member of staff at the restaurant. He was standing by the door keeping guard.
‘I said, ‘You have to let me out, I’m a doctor.’ He said, ‘There’s people being attacked, I can’t let you out’.
Dr Moses ran towards the terror scene and found Marie Bondeville (pictured with her boyfriend Oliver Dowling) being stabbed repeatedly on the floor
‘I said, ‘I can’t watch them die. You have to let me out and just lock the door after me to keep people safe’.’
Dr Moses said he went outside to help and found Ms Bondeville and Mr Echeverria lying on the ground.
HSBC worker Mr Echeverria was not moving but Ms Bondeville was animated and screaming, he said.
The doctor said he saw other injured people had help around them so decided to attend to Ms Bondeville.
Ignacio Echeverria, 39, was knifed to death while trying to protect Ms Bondeville, who was being repeatedly stabbed as she lay on the floor during the London Bridge terror attack in 2017. Today Dr Moses apologised for not being able to save him
‘I had to make a quick decision to the best of my memory. I do not recall seeing either of the two people on the floor had any assistance and I did not know what was the right thing to do because I had not been trained in that situation,’ he said.
‘I went to her first because she was showing signs of life and that was where I thought I could help the best.’
Dr Moses said he introduced himself to Ms Bondeville and told her he was a doctor.
He told the court: ‘I told her I’m a doctor, I’m here to help you. I asked her what her name was and I asked her what happened, if she was in pain, if she could remember anything.
‘She was unable to respond to my questions, she was too distressed. I noticed she had lacerations and stab wounds to her neck and chest area. She had lacerations to her face.
‘I remember at this point thinking that the wounds looked like they were deliberate penetrating stab wounds.
‘I initially thought this was a mugging or gang attack. She kept saying she’s going to die. She’s going to die.
‘I held her hand. I told her, ‘You are not going to die. I’m going to save you. You are going to be OK’.’
Dr Moses said he was ‘really sorry’ he couldn’t save Mr Echeverria, saying ‘you gave your life so bravely to save people and you will always be remembered as a hero’.
In a moving statement outside the Old Bailey, he said: ‘It was very traumatic. Eight people were killed, 48 others were injured and many others were affected by it.
‘But despite this horror which took place, the most profound thing which has resonated with me is the spirit of kindness, of care, love and support from so many people.’
He added: ‘Everyone was coming to people’s aid. There were so many brave, heroic acts and so many acts of kindness and it was a true display of humanity at its best.
‘I really believe that we all beat terrorism that night. And it’s with that mindset that we need to continue.
‘We mustn’t live in fear. We mustn’t let these events get the better of us.’
The inquest heard today how Mr Echeverria was knifed to death in an attack lasting less than five seconds as he stepped in to help protect Ms Bondeville, who was being repeatedly stabbed as she lay on the floor.
He was one of the eight victims of terrorists Khuram Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22.
Mr Echeverria, who worked as a financial crime analyst at HSBC, had been skateboarding with friends before cycling past the attackers on a Santander bike.
CCTV footage played in court showed him swinging his skateboard at Redouane before the attacker lunged with his knife, sending him to the ground.
Zaghba is seen standing over Mr Echeverria, trying to stab him, as the victim uses his skateboard to parry the blows before Redouane’s 12in blade appears to connect with the left side of his torso.
His friend, Guillermo Sanchez-Montisi, said in a statement read at the Old Bailey: ‘It was like he didn’t even think about it, but reacted immediately.
‘He was to the right side of that group, hitting the attackers with his skateboard.’
Mr Sanchez-Montisi said there was a woman, now known to be Marie Bondeville, on the floor being stabbed repeatedly.
‘From the way they were attacking people it was clear that their intentions were to kill everyone,’ he said.
‘He wanted to kill her. The girl was screaming and it was terrifying.’
The financial crime analyst at HSBC used his skateboard to hit Rachid Redouane over the head. Pictured: Mr Echeverria skateboarding
The inquest has heard how Mr Echeverria got off his bike and joined unarmed PC Wayne Marques and off-duty PC Charlie Guenigault to help protect Ms Bondeville and Oliver Dowling, who was also injured in the attack.
He was awarded a posthumous George Medal for bravery by the Queen as well as a High Commendation by the Met, British Transport Police and City of London Police.
Mr Echeverria was also awarded two Grand Cross medals, a Silver Medal and a Medal of Honour by the monarchy and police in Spain.
Mr Sanchez-Montisi said: ‘One of the attackers was covering his head as Ignacio was hitting him with the skateboard.
‘I could hear the sound of the skateboard hitting, then suddenly Ignacio was on the floor.’
He said his friend held his skateboard to protect himself before one of the attackers knifed him.
‘I saw him stab Ignacio deeply into his side or the back as he was on the floor,’ he said.
The inquest has heard how Mr Echeverria got off his bike, pictured, and joined unarmed PC Wayne Marques and off-duty PC Charlie Guenigault to help protect victims
He was one of eight people killed after Khuram Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, launched a van and knife attack on June 3, 2017. Pictured: the van they used
‘I saw how the knife disappeared into my friend as he lay on the floor with his skateboard on top of him. This was the first time I saw the knife.’
Mr Sanchez-Montisi said he thought he would also be stabbed as one of the attackers ‘looked straight at me’ as he came towards him, but managed to escape after throwing something in the way.
‘When he was looking at me, his face, he looked like the devil,’ he added.
‘It was very painful to leave my friend but we were going to be next.’
Mr Sanchez-Montisi said the terror attack was the ‘craziest situation’ he had ever seen.
CCTV footage played in court showed him swinging his skateboard at Redouane before the attacker lunged with his knife, sending him to the ground. Pictured: one of the 12-inch blades used by the terrorists
Pictured: terrorists Khuram Shazad Butt, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba
‘They were killing everyone, even the policemen. They were stabbing everyone everywhere they saw people,’ he said.
‘They looked prepared, professional and they were stood ready to attack. They knew what they were doing and they didn’t care.’
Xavier Thomas, 45, Christine Archibald, 30, Sara Zelenak, 21, Sebastien Belanger, 36, James McMullan, 32, Kirsty Boden, 28, and Alexandre Pigeard, 26, were also killed in the atrocity, which was brought to an end in less than 10 minutes when the attackers were shot.
The inquest continues tomorrow.
Who were the victims of the London Bridge terror attack?
(Top, from left) Christine Archibald, James McMullan, Alexandre Pigeard, Sebastien Belanger, (bottom, from left) Kirsty Boden, Sara Zelenak, Xavier Thomas and Ignacio Echeverria
Ignacio Echeverria
Spaniard Ignacio Echeverria was stabbed to death as he tried to fight off the terrorist attackers with his skateboard.
The 39-year-old had been in the UK for over a year was working as a financial crime analyst at HSBC.
Mr Echeverria joined unarmed police constables Wayne Marques and Charlie Guenigault in fighting off the three attackers as they set upon Marie Bondeville, hitting at least one terrorist with his skateboard.
‘His courageous efforts were to seek to stop the attack,’ Chief Coroner Mark Lucraft said.
Kirsty Boden
Mr Echeverria was the youngest of five siblings and was a Catholic who went to mass every week. He could speak English, German and French fluently.
Nurse Kirsty Boden was fatally stabbed as she tried to tend to the wounded and the dying.
Miss Boden, 28, moved to London in 2013 from the small town of Loxton, in South Australia.
She was a senior staff nurse at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital and lived with her British boyfriend James Hodder in a flat in Hampstead.
Mr Hodder said: ‘She loved people and loved her life helping others. To Kirsty, her actions that night would have been an extension of how she lived her life.’
Alexandre Pigeard
Alexandre Pigeard was working as a waiter at Boro Bistro when he was attacked.
The 26-year-old Frenchman had moved to London to further his ambitions as a dance music DJ.
Minutes before he was fatally stabbed, he video-called his father Philippe during a break from work at the French restaurant.
Mr Pigeard had planned to return to France in the autumn of 2017 to help open a restaurant in Nantes and to record an EP with his musician father.
Mr Pigeard senior told the inquest: ‘I’m present here as a devastated father who has lost a child in such circumstances – an inconsolable father.’
James McMullan
James McMullan was stabbed in the chest near the Barrowboy and Banker pub while he was celebrating getting financial backing for his online education company.
The British-Filipino entrepreneur was watching the Champions League final with friends in the pub.
The 32-year-old, from Hackney in East London, was attacked when he stepped outside to have a cigarette.
He had dreamed of helping children without access to education through his e-learning company.
Mr McMullan’s father Simon described his son as ‘funny, charming and clever’ and said ‘his fearlessness could never be underestimated’.
Sebastien Belanger
The mother of chef Sebastien Belanger said she does not forgive the terrorists who ‘mutilated and killed him’.
Her 36-year-old son was drinking at the Boro Bistro when he was stabbed repeatedly in the chest.
His mother Josiane Belanger said: ‘We miss him so much, his smile, his joie de vivre. I do not forgive what they did to him.’
Originally from Angers in western France, Mr Belanger started work at the Coq d’Argent in the City and was promoted to the role of head chef.
Australian au pair Sara Zelenak was on the ‘trip of a lifetime’ when she was stabbed to death while on a night out with a friend.
Sara Zelenak
Miss Zelenak’s mother Julie Wallace said ‘every sliding door’ put her daughter in ‘harm’s way’.
‘She was meant to be working and at the last minute she got the night off,’ Mrs Wallace said.
‘At 10pm Sara’s phone rang and her friend said ‘I’ve finished at the rugby’ and so she left her safe haven and walked out into a terrorist attack and was stabbed to death.’
Before leaving for UK in March 2017, Miss Zelenak worked with her stepfather Mark as a crane truck operator in Brisbane to save up for her trip.
Her parents have since set up Sarz Sanctuary to help other families to cope with grief.
Xavier Thomas
Xavier Thomas was walking over London Bridge with his girlfriend Christine Delcros when they were hit by the van.
The 45-year-old father-of-two was catapulted into the Thames and his girlfriend suffered life-changing injuries. His body was recovered downstream three days later.
Mr Thomas, who had arrived in London on the day of the attack, lived near Paris and worked for American Express.
Miss Delcros said: ‘Since Xavier disappeared in such tragic and traumatic circumstances our whole world has fallen apart.’
Canadian tourist Christine Archibald told her fiance Tyler Ferguson she loved him seconds before she was mowed down.
Christine Archibald
Miss Archibald and Mr Ferguson were walking across London Bridge after dinning at a nearby restaurant when the atrocity unfolded.
Her fiancé said: ‘At one point Chrissy stopped me out of nowhere, grabbed me close and gave me a passionate kiss after telling me she loved me.
‘I remember it being a warm summer’s evening and the sun had just gone down.. And then the attack took place and Chrissy was killed.
‘No words can express how I felt when this happened. I was absolutely devastated and inconsolable. Nothing has ever been the same since.’
Miss Archibald’s engagement ring was lost during the attack, but later recovered from the bridge. Mr Ferguson now wears it on a chain around his neck.