An inquest has found that the deaths of three men who were murdered by a man convicted under anti-terror laws in a Reading park could have been avoided. Khairi Saadallah killed James Furlong, David Wails, and Joe Ritchie-Bennett, in Forbury Gardens in June 2020, and was given a whole-life term in 2021 after admitting murder and the attempted murder of three other men. It was discovered that there were major problems with intelligence sharing between authorities. Counter Terrorism Policing, the Probation Service and Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust were among those who received criticism for the handling of the case.
Sir Adrian Fulford, who presided over the inquest, described Saadallah as “volatile” and having a “terrorist mindset.” If intelligence about the high risk he posed had been shared properly, he may have been detained by police. Saadallah was released from prison on June 5, 2020 and lived in a flat in Reading before preparing for the attack. He visited Forbury Gardens, researched it online and bought a knife in a Morrisons supermarket. The night before the murders, local officers visited Saadallah after his brother rang police to raise concerns about his mental state.
The judge coroner concluded that Saadallah’s mental health could have been managed correctly if authorities had provided continuity of care. Reports about the risk he posed were “markedly deficient” and one intelligence assessment was “simply inadequate.” Counter-terror programmes, such as Prevent, did not provide any “effective intervention” to address Saadallah’s threats.
When he was sentenced in January 2021, Judge Mr Justice Sweeney said Saadallah carried out a “ruthless and brutal” attack. The judge added he was sure the attack “involved a substantial degree of premeditation or planning” and was carried out “for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, or ideological cause.” Police had an “unrelenting” commitment to learn, change, and improve “where required.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
