Westminster attack inquests - as they happened: Widow of officer killed by terrorist says police 'left him to die' unarmed on Parliament gates
Coroner to draw up 'prevention of future deaths' report with recommendations for police
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“Shortcomings in security” outside the Houses of Parliament contributed to the death of a police officer during the Westminster attack, a coroner has concluded.
Judge Mark Lucraft QC, the Chief Coroner of England and Wales, said the Metropolitan Police had allowed the entrance PC Keith Palmer was guarding to be neglected by “roving” armed officers.
PC Palmer's widow said he was "left to die", adding: "How could Keith have been left alone, unarmed, guarding an open gate at one of the most iconic buildings in the world and one of the country’s top terrorist targets?”
Judge Lucraft is to draw up a “prevention of future deaths report” that will contain recommendations for the Metropolitan Police and parliamentary security officials.
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Masood, 52, drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge on March 22 last year, killing American tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, Aysha Frade, 44, and Romanian tourist Andreea Cristea, 31.
Their relatives expressed hope that "lessons had been learned" from the gruelling three-week inquests.
Delivering his conclusions at the Old Bailey, Judge Lucraft said the two armed officers assigned to the area had not been near Carriage Gates for almost an hour before Khalid Masood struck because they were unaware of official guidance.
“They had been some distance away and out of view of the entrance because they had understood their duty to involve a roving patrol around the yard,” Judge Lucraft said.
“Due to shortcomings in the security system at New Palace Yard, including the supervision of those engaged in such duties, the armed officers were not aware of a requirement to remain in close proximity to the gates.
“Had they been stationed there, it is possible that they may have been able to prevent PC Palmer suffering fatal injuries.”
PC Palmer's widow said her husband had been “left to die” by security failings and accused authorities of letting “lax security” continue at the Houses of Parliament for years.
In his closing argument, Gareth Patterson QC, for families of victims on the bridge, urged the coroner to make a report on the circumstances of the case to “protect the public”.
On the role of MI5, whose knowledge of Masood has been heavily scrutinised, he said: “We do think there is room for improvement in terms of decision-making.”
He suggested security services should look again at when to investigate suspects and when to stop, and to take account of violent backgrounds.
Mr Patterson also called for the Government to “try again” with tightening rules for hiring cars.
Dominic Adamson, representing PC Palmer's widow Michelle, said that there was “a systematic failure” in protecting unarmed officers on guard at the Palace of Westminster.
A doctor who carried out a post-mortem on Mrs Frade said he noticed "significant injuries" including a "devastating and unsurvivable" head injury, as well as multiple other injuries. There were also devastating internal injuries that would have been fatal separately.
He said she "appeared to be completely unaware" of the approaching car, and in his view there was a chance of fatality from the initial impact of Masood's car even if she wasn't thrown into the path of the bus.
The cause of death was recorded to head and chest injury. The pathologist said the death was "instantaneous and she would not have suffered."
Judge Lucraft is now addressing the death of Andreea Cristea, a Romanian tourist who was on holiday in London. She had stopped on the bridge to take photographs with her boyfriend at the time and was thrown into the River Thames.
Ms Cristea was in the water for little more than five minutes before being recovered by a London Fire Brigade boat.
Her boyfriend standing metres away had his foot run over by the car and then noticed that Ms Cristea was "nowhere to be seen" after it moved onwards.
He found her phone and glasses "in a pool of blood" after trying to call it.
"At one stage he thought about jumping into the river himself," Judge Lucraft said. He tried to tell police officers what happened but they were "trying to clear the area".
He later received a call from her sister that she had been found and taken to hospital, where she later died.
Michael Brown, who was driving across Westminster Bridge, saw Masood's vehicle hitting people as it drove long the pavement.
He saw Ms Cristea get hit and "turn over and over" as she fell into the river. He got out of his van, called 999 and looked for her in the river.
He spotted her being carried by the current under the bridge and started shouting to a boat pulling out of a nearby pier, who acknowledged his call.
Mr Brown then went to help others.
The captain of a City Cruises boat said they had a "man overboard" procedure for someone being given a ladder to climb back on, but no procedure for finding someone unconscious.
He noted what "looked like a pile of rags" and then saw Mr Brown waving and screaming that there was someone in the water.
As they got closer "it was clear it was a body". There was a "lot of blood around her" in the water and it was "physically impossible" to pull her on to the boat.
Judge Lucraft says it "did not occur to them that she had only just gone into the water".
The fire boat was fitted with a crane that enabled Ms Cristea to be recovered within seconds, and took her to a lifeboat station.