A counter-terrorism officer has admitted that police should have raised concerns about letting a convicted terrorist travel to a London event where he launched a deadly attack. Usman Khan, 28, murdered two people at a celebration held by Cambridge University’s Learning Together education programme at Fishmongers’ Hall in 2019. The inquests into his victims’ deaths heard that the probation officers, police and MI5 agents monitoring him did not.
13:14 EDT, 17 May 2021
A counter-terror police officer has agreed his team should have raised a concern about jihadi Usman Khan s visit to a prisoner education event where he killed two Cambridge University graduates.
Det Sgt Jon Stephenson, from Staffordshire Police Special Branch, said he agreed in hindsight that the decision to allow 28-year-old Khan to travel without escort to central London was a risk.
Khan stabbed to death Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, at a celebration from Cambridge University-affiliated Learning Together.
The event took place at Fishmongers Hall, on November 29, 2019, 11 months after his release from prison for plotting a terrorist training camp in his parents homeland of Pakistan.
BBC News
Published
image captionSaskia Jones and Jack Merritt were killed by Usman Khan at the conference on offender rehabilitation
A counter-terror detective has admitted he should have considered the risk posed by the Fishmongers Hall attacker travelling to London unescorted.
Det Sgt Jon Stephenson said that in hindsight, the decision to allow Usman Khan to attend a prison education event on 29 November 2019, was a risk.
Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, were stabbed to death by Khan at the Learning Together event.
Jury inquests are taking place for the pair at London s Guildhall.
Giving evidence, Det Sgt Stephenson said there had been nothing mentioned about Khan s behaviour at a multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) meeting to suggest that his visit was a risk.