The fire extinguisher hero who doused London Bridge attacker Usman Khan is a killer on parole who was friends with the terrorist’s victim Jack Merritt.
Mr Merritt, 25, who was murdered at Fishmongers’ Hall last Friday, would have been immensely proud of John Crilly, his friends and family have revealed.
The 48-year-old, who is out on licence after serving 13 years for manslaughter, pursued Khan from the prisoner’s rehabilitation conference after seeing Mr Merritt stabbed in the chest.
Crilly, a former heroin addict and career criminal, was originally sentenced to life in prison in 2005 after a 71-year-old pensioner was killed by his accomplice in a botched burglary.
Crilly, who stole a blender and mobile phone, was jailed by Lord Brian Leveson for murder under the controversial joint enterprise doctrine. Leveson, the very same judge, who had freed Khan.
John Crilly (holding his degree certificate) is pictured on his graduation in Manchester with his mentor and ‘the best guy he ever met’ Jack Merrit, 25, who was murdered by Usman Khan last Friday
John Crilly is seen bravely going after the jihadist with a fire extinguisher last Friday
Crilly’s conviction was overturned on appeal and he admitted manslaughter.
Astonishing footage showed Crilly and a man with a narwhal tusk leading the charge against Khan, who had also killed Mr Merritt’s colleague Saskia Jones, 23, before the terrorist was shot dead by police.
Crilly, a former heroin addict and career criminal, was originally sentenced to life in prison in 2005 after a pensioner was killed by his accomplice in a botched burglary
Crilly took to Facebook in the aftermath saying: ‘Why!? This guy, Jack Merrit, the best guy I ever met. Jack actually tried helping this guy! To educate him. As he educated me.
‘Jack came all the way from Cambridge to be at my graduation in m/cr (Manchester).’
Mr Merritt and Crilly are understood to have become friends at the Learning Together scheme at HMP Grendon, Buckinghamshire.
Mr Merritt’s alma mater, Cambridge University, is connected to the rehabilitation programme.
One of Mr Merritt’s friends, Michelle Feather, wrote on Facebook: ‘I honestly think your friend would be proud of you John Crilly for your actions, so many people could have died if it wasn’t for your quick thinking!! Be proud of yourself.
‘You’re a brave man John massive hugs to you!! Would have you by my side any day you deserve a medal.’
Another, Michelle Crosby, said: ‘You’ve been through such a trauma, your response was heroic.
‘I’m sure your friend would be proud of you. We all are! Such a sh*t world Crilly but you lot took it on n didn’t let him win.’
A recent social media picture of John Crilly who was befriended by Mr Merritt through the Learning Together scheme at HMP Grendon, Buckinghamshire
Cambridge graduate Jack Merritt with his girlfriend Leanne O’Brien
Mr Merritt had continued to meet with Crilly following his release and attended the convict’s Law graduation ceremony from the Open University.
Crilly, who has blamed his years of criminality on drug addiction, was able to serve four years at HMP Grendon, which is uniquely based on therapeutic community principles to rehabilitate inmates.
He wrote to Sir Brian Leveson while in prison and the judge took him up on the offer, writing to his fellow judges, ‘In the course of my career, I have visited many prisons but in my 15 years on the bench … I have received precisely one invitation to visit a prison from someone on whom I passed sentence.’
Sir Brian’s article, shared by The Justice Gap, continued: ‘I sentenced him nearly 10 years ago after he was convicted by a jury for his part in a joint enterprise single-punch murder of an elderly home owner during the course of a robbery in which he did not personally use the fatal (or any) force.
‘At the time he was addicted to heroin. Perhaps understandably it has taken many years to come to terms with his guilt but Grendon has helped him do just that. Today, John seems to fully acknowledge responsibility for the death of another human being; he is clear of drugs and appears to be headed in the right direction.’
Crilly took to Facebook in the aftermath saying: ‘Why!? This guy, Jack Merrit, the best guy I ever met. Jack actually tried helping this guy! To educate him. As he educated me’
Jack Merritt (pictured centre) was one of the victims of the London Bridge terror attack. His father David (left) has condemned politicisation of the attack
Cambridge graduates Saskia Jones, 23, (left) and Mr Merritt, 25, (right) were fatally stabbed during a prisoner rehabilitation event last Friday
The London Bridge killer Usman Khan was a convicted terrorist who had been a member of an al Qaida-inspired group that plotted to blow up the London Stock Exchange.
The 28-year-old killed the two Cambridge graduates and injured three other people in his knife rampage before being shot dead, wearing a mock suicide vest, last Friday.
He had been living in Stafford after he was released from prison on licence in December 2018.
Khan was charged with conspiracy to cause explosions and other terrorism offences in late December 2010, along with eight others.
On February 1 2012, the nine pleaded guilty to various terrorist offences, with four admitting an al Qaida-inspired plot to detonate a bomb at the London Stock Exchange.
Woolwich Crown Court heard a hand-written target list found on a desk at one of the plotters’ homes also included the names and addresses of the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral in London, then London mayor Boris Johnson, two rabbis, and the American Embassy in London.
Khan and two others, all from Stoke-on-Trent, admitted to a charge of engaging in conduct for the preparation of terrorism between November 1 and December 21 2010 – namely travelling to and attending operational meetings, fundraising for terrorist training, preparing to travel abroad and assisting others in travelling abroad.
Khan killed two and injured three others before he was shot dead by police on Friday. He had been wearing a mock suicide vest.
Usman Khan holding a placard while joining other Islamic extremists on the streets of Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent in January 2010
The group was also linked to radical preacher 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 he founded.
Passing sentence on February 9 2012, the judge, Mr Justice Wilkie, said this was a ‘serious, long-term venture in terrorism’ that could also have resulted in atrocities in Britain.
He said: ‘It was envisaged by them all that ultimately they and the other recruits may return to the UK as trained and experienced terrorists available to perform terrorist attacks in this country, on one possibility contemplated in the context of the return of British troops from Afghanistan.’
The trio appealed against their sentences and on April 16 2013 had their indeterminate sentences quashed by the Court of Appeal, which instead imposed determinate custodial sentences.
The Court of Appeal judgment said: ‘The groups were clearly considering a range of possibilities including fundraising for the establishment of a military training madrassa in Pakistan, where they would undertake training themselves and recruit others to do likewise, sending letter bombs through the post, attacking public houses used by British racist groups, attacking a high-profile target with an explosive device and a Mumbai-style attack.’
Khan was charged with conspiracy to cause explosions and other terrorism offences in late December 2010, along with eight others
Usman Khan, 28, had complained to medics about being bullied and had been called Beyonce Boy in prison
Allowing their sentence appeals, Lord Justice Leveson, sitting with Mr Justice Mitting and Mr Justice Sweeney, sentenced Shahjahan to 17 years and eight months and Khan and Hussain to 16 years, along with five-year extended licence periods.
Khan denied being a terrorist in a 2008 interview with BBC News after his address was raided by anti-terror police.
He told the reporter: ‘I’ve been born and bred in England, in Stoke-on-Trent, in Cobridge, and all the community knows me and they will know, if you ask them, they will know like these labels what they’re putting on us, like terrorist, this, that, they will know.
‘I ain’t no terrorist.’
Another video of Khan, obtained by Sky News, sees the attacker talk of his mistrust of the authorities in 2010.
‘Now I know I can never ever trust them, never ever,’ he said.
‘I didn’t trust them anyway but now, they’ve showed their hatred, they’ve showed how much they can hate you.’