UK - London Bridge Attack, shots fired, Nov 2019

[Elainera]

I think he was arrested in 2010, so he had 2 years of time served knocked off.

That would make sense - mathematically at least.

 

[alice500]

One wonders why this is referred to as "London Bridge attack".

It appears to have started in the Fishmongers Hall, amongst a group of people attending an event run by Cambridge University for, and about, people who had been jailed.

Those directly involved, including the knifeman, seem to have either been legitimate attendees of this event, or staff at Fishmongers Hall.

 

[alice500]

From the Sunday Times

London Bridge attack: academics and criminals sat calmly, then the terror began


Beneath the gilded ceilings and crystal chandeliers of the Court Drawing Room at Fishmongers’ Hall, Bryonn Bain was winding up his Friday lunchtime talk to a group of prison governors, Cambridge criminologists and former offenders.

With Pietro Annigoni’s celebrated 1955 portrait of the Queen hanging at one end of the room, it seemed the most English of settings for an American poet and prison reformer who once sued the New York police for wrongful arrest and later wrote a play called Lyrics from Lockdown, based on his experience in jail.

Then a series of screams pierced the academic calm of a conference on prisoner rehabilitation. “Bomb threat and stabbings at London Bridge,” Bain tweeted hurriedly. “Evacuating to a survivors centre.”

 

[alice500]

London Bridge terrorist was guest at prisoner rehabilitation conference | Metro News


It is believed Khan had been invited to give a talk at a conference at Fishmongers’ Hall, central London, organised by University of Cambridge-associated Learning Together. Guests included former prisoners and prison staff and there were workshops on storytelling and creative writing. Khan is reported to have attended the morning session but when he returned for the afternoon, he threatened to blow up the building. Dressed all in black and wearing a fake suicide belt, he stabbed several people who crossed his path.

 

[tresir2012]

Thanks for that. But I still don't understand why he was released in Dec 2018. Shouldn't it have been 2020 at the earliest? 2012 plus 8 years?

I think they were arrested in 2010 so would have probably served 2 years on remand. An appeal changed his sentence to 16 years and eligible for release after half the sentence was served so that would be 8 years from 2010 till 2018. I am guessing all of them have been released too, as his sentence was appealed and so he was given the same as the others. MOO

 

[tresir2012]

One wonders why this is referred to as "London Bridge attack".

It appears to have started in the Fishmongers Hall, amongst a group of people attending an event run by Cambridge University for, and about, people who had been jailed.

Those directly involved, including the knifeman, seem to have either been legitimate attendees of this event, or staff at Fishmongers Hall.

I guess the 999 calls that went in to police were largely from passerbys and vehicles on London Bridge so police attended and dealt with the emergency on London Bridge.

 

[alice500]

"It is believed Khan had been invited to give a talk at a conference at Fishmongers’ Hall, central London, organised by University of Cambridge-associated Learning Together"

Anyone know where this information originated?

Was he invited specifically ? Was he given a specific role?

Or was it a general post to all prisoners ... these events are happening .. come and share your experience ... sign up here ???


Anyone got a map of the inside of the building?

Were there lots of rooms in use .. for different things? Creative writing? Byronn Bain's talk?

The impression I get is that he was there in the morning? Is this true?
Went out for lunch?
Did the fracas start in reception... as he re-entered the building?

 

[tresir2012]

Academics tweet support for Cambridge staff caught up in terror attack

Here's an ITV article showing a picture of the hall during the conference. This shows how many were in this particular meeting and I would imagine a lot of the info has come from the survivors.

 

[tresir2012]

Vigils held for London Bridge attack victims

Vigils in Cambridge and London have just taken place for the victims.

 

[tresir2012]

As there have been a lot of questions about early release this link may help. If the sentence is a determinate sentence then a prisoner can be let out automatically halfway thru their sentence. If it is indeterminate they have to go through a parole board.

Leaving prison

 

[Charlot123]

And as someone who believes in not only the possibility of rehabilitation but redemption, maybe that's what has happened. His crime was awful, but now he has saved another woman's life.

For the relatives of the poor woman he killed, there is no redemption. So this should stay on his conscience, forever.

But in the case of Khan, he acted fast, and selfless. He might have saved someone’s life.

I think we should not mix these cases. For his victim, he’s a murderer. For someone else, likely, a saver.

 

[Charlot123]

Second London Bridge attack victim named as Saskia Jones, 23

[...]

Her family said in a statement: “Saskia was a funny, kind, positive influence at the centre of many people’s lives. She had a wonderful sense of mischievous fun and was generous to the point of always wanting to see the best in all people.

“She was intent on living life to the full and had a wonderful thirst for knowledge, enabling her to be the best she could be.

“Saskia had a great passion for providing invaluable support to victims of criminal injustice, which led her to the point of recently applying for the police graduate recruitment programme, wishing to specialise in victim support.

Second London Bridge attack victim named as Saskia Jones, 23

RIP.

Any news about the other victims, in the hospital? They were slashed pretty bad, too.

 

[Charlot123]

Terrorist who plotted with Usman Khan also reoffended after going free | Metro News

Here's an additional link that mentions another one of the original gang has re-offended. They have to sort this out.

Statistically, they belong to second-generation immigrants. A study done on terrorists showed that over 60% of them came from this group. The risk is twice as low in third-generation ones.
Something about the “lost generation” in the immigration pool...

 

[Ellmau]

A witness talks:

London Bridge victim Jack Merritt was first to confront Usman Khan, witness reveals | Daily Mail Online

Professor Bryonn Bain, of UCLA, said he wanted to honour Mr Merritt, 25, for standing up to Khan at the doors of Fishmonger's Hall on Friday.

...

'He was brave,' Prof. Bain told the BBC, 'He was the first line of defence, he was the first person to confront him at the door. So I want to honour him.

I saw things that I'm never going to be able to unsee and I want to make sure that as much as possible that we uphold the heroes of the day.

'They were formerly incarcerated people, some of the folks who are often easiest to dehumanise. They stepped up and many of the folks in that space would not be here today if it weren't for these guys who did time in prison and literally saved lives.'

 

[0101ABA]

A convicted murderer who rushed in to tackle the killer London Bridge terrorist has been moved to a secure jail after getting death threats, according to a report Sunday.

James Ford, 42, was initially seen as a hero, rushing in to tackle knifeman Usman Khan and also giving CPR to 23-year-old Saskia Jones, one of two who died in the Nov. 29 UK terror attack.

https://nypost.com/2019/12/08/london-bridge-hero-convicted-of-murder-gets-slew-of-death-threats/

 

[dixiegirl1035]

https://nypost.com/2019/12/08/london-bridge-hero-convicted-of-murder-gets-slew-of-death-threats/

It begs the question to me how somebody who had a life sentence was able to exit the facility without someone that was armed watching him and guarding him. Or any of the people that were at that conference that had life sentences for murder, did they not have protection that they would not Escape? I haven't read anything about such, but perhaps I've just missed it on the threads.

 

[Ironside]

Day release prisoners are trusted to behave themselves so there would not have been any prison guards for them.

The terrorist himself wasn’t on day release he was already freed from jail on conditions and was allowed to enter London to attend the conference. Again there would be no requirement for guards in this situation. He shouldn’t have been released from jail in the first place imo.

 

[dotr]

Nicely done interactive link.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/extra/NNdZwVPPgP/300-seconds-on-london-bridge

 

[FrostOwl]

An interview with John Crilly, who tackled UK while believing he had a live suicide belt on: I was prepared to die, says London Bridge 'hero'

 

[Ironside]

An interview with John Crilly, who tackled UK while believing he had a live suicide belt on: I was prepared to die, says London Bridge 'hero'

I like this guy and wish him all the best.