Reading terrorist had assault charge dropped weeks before attack, court told | Reading park attack

Charges against a man who was later responsible for the Reading terror attack were dropped due to “miscommunication” between the Home Office and Crown Prosecution Service, a pre-inquest review has heard.

Khairi Saadallah murdered three men in a Reading park on 20 June 2020 as coronavirus restrictions were eased. Saadallah allegedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” as he stabbed friends James Furlong, 36, David Wails, 49, and Joseph Ritchie-Bennett, 39.

A judge determined it was a jihadist attack and he was jailed for life in 2021.

A pre-inquest review hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Monday heard that on 24 July 2019, Saadallah was alleged to have spat at a police officer after being arrested and to have damaged a mattress “by eating it”.

Saadallah had been charged with being drunk and disorderly, damaging property and assaulting an emergency worker over the incident at Reading police station, but these charges were dropped on 1 June 2020, less than three weeks before the stabbings.

Nicholas Moss KC, counsel to the inquest, said in court papers: “On that date, Saadallah is said to have attended Reading police station, spat at a detention officer after arrest, and damaged a mattress by eating it. He was charged, pleaded not guilty, released on unconditional bail and his trial was adjourned due to Covid.”

The Libyan national, then 25, had been part of a militia in Libya deemed to be Islamist extremists and was refused asylum by the Home Office.

Home Office staff emailed Thames Valley police on 28 May 2020, stating that they planned to deport Saadallah but were unable to “until the impending charges had been dealt with”. However, other staff at the department were arguing against deporting Saadallah because it would have been dangerous for him to return to Libya at the time because of the civil war, the court heard.

Moss said solicitors to the inquest have requested a witness statement from the CPS “addressing why the decision was made not to pursue” the charges. He added: “Whatever the right and wrongs of that, it appears from that exchange between the CPS and the Home Office charges were dropped due to what may be thought to have been a misunderstanding or miscommunication about the status of Mr Saadallah.”

Stephen Young, 51, Patrick Edwards, 29, and Nishit Nisudan, 34 were also injured before Saadallah threw away an 8in knife and ran off, pursued by an off-duty police officer.

Mr Justice Sweeney described the stabbings, which all took place in under 60 seconds, as “swift, ruthless and brutal”. Saadallah pleaded guilty to three murders and three attempted murders.

The coroner, Sir Adrian Fulford, told the court “no relevant stone will be left unturned” during the inquest. A further pre-inquest review hearing will take place on 18 and 19 September at the high court, with full proceedings expected to begin in January.