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As it happenedended

London Bridge attack inquests: CCTV shows stab victims fighting Isis terrorists as passers-by throw chairs

Knife-wielding attackers pelted with bottles, chairs and bread crates, after being punched and kicked by victims

Lizzie Dearden
Security Correspondent, at the Old Bailey
Wednesday 08 May 2019 03:35 EDT
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Inquest into the London Bridge and Borough Market terror attack begins at the Old Bailey

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Inquests into the London Bridge terror attack have been shown CCTV of victims fighting terrorists even after they were stabbed.

The Old Bailey was played graphic footage showing PC Charlie Guenigault kicking ringleader Khuram Butt as he was being knifed on the ground.

Another clip showed a man throwing a drink over attacker Rachid Redouane after being stabbed in the back, as a passer-by launched a chair at terrorists.

Millwall fan Roy Larner was filmed fighting the attackers in the Black and Blue restaurant, remaining standing in a boxing stance even after being stabbed multiple times in the chest.

In the aftermath of the attack, Mr Larner said he shouted "f*** you, I'm Millwall" during the assault.

Footage caught on CCTV cameras, dashcams, people's phones and police bodyworn cameras showed chaos as the trio of terrorists roamed around Borough Market.

The court heard that at one point, they started moving towards unarmed police officers shouting "Allah akbar".

Footage showed the officers making desperate radio calls for armed backup before turning and telling members of the public to run, fleeing with them.

An armed unit from City of London Police arrived at Borough Market shortly after, as the terrorists stabbed the last of the 56 victims killed or injured.

Even as three officers got out of their car and took aim, footage played to the Old Bailey showed members of the public standing metres away throwing missiles.

Two bakers had run to the scene with large bread crates, while drinkers were pelting them with chairs and glass bottles.

Police shouted at the public to take cover as armed officers opened fire on the terrorists in a hail of bullets.

The court heard that officers shouted warnings before Butt, Redouane and Youssef Zaghba charged towards them, still carrying their knives and wearing fake suicide vests.

The three attackers were taken down 10 minutes after starting the attack, and shot multiple times minutes later as they lay on the ground.

Footage showed Redouane's legs moving and Det Supt Becky Riggs told the court that officers feared the attackers and could detonate the vests.

Images provided by Met Police of murderers (left to right) Khuram Butt, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba
Images provided by Met Police of murderers (left to right) Khuram Butt, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba

They were later found to be fake by explosive ordnance disposal teams.

A man in a nearby pub was accidentally shot in the head in the fusillade but survived, the court heard.

The Old Bailey previously heard emotional tributes to the eight victims from their families.

The area around Borough Market had been swarming with Londoners and tourists on a warm summer evening, when pubs were packed out for the Champions League final.

The court heard Ignacio Echeverria, a financial crime analyst from Spain, beat the terrorists with a skateboard after seeing them attacking a woman on the ground.

Australian nurse Kirsty Boden was stabbed to death after rushing to help another victim, French waiter Alexandre Pigeard.

The court heard that the 26-year-old was attacked while “rushing to see if he could help” victims of what he believed to be an accidental crash.

French chef Sebastien Belanger, 36, had been drinking at the same restaurant and was cornered by all three of the attackers but “bravely fought back” as he was stabbed to death.

The court heard that Canadian social worker Christine Archibald, 30, had kissed her husband-to-be and told him “I love you” moments before being killed by the van.

Xavier Thomas, 45, was on the phone to his son as he walked across the River Thames on holiday with his girlfriend when he was hit by the terrorists' vehicle.

Australian au pair Sara Zelenak was on a “trip of a lifetime” when she was knifed to death while on a night out with a friend nearby, her family said.

And dual British-Filipino national James McMullan, 32, had been watching football at a pub when he went outside for a cigarette and was caught in the attack.

The attackers' deaths will be examined before a jury, in separate inquests coming after an estimated eight weeks of hearings for their victims.

Please allow a moment for the live blog to load

Questioning of D/Supt Riggs has finished

Alistair Hutchinson, a detective constable in the Metropolitan Police counterterror command who has been investigating the attack is now giving evidence

DC Hutchinson is taking the court through more detailed evidence of the death of French victim Xavier Thomas. He was walking across London Bridge with his partner Christine Delcros when they were hit by the terrorists' van

Lizzie Dearden8 May 2019 16:07

The court is shown footage of the couple, who were on holiday in London, walking towards the bridge hand in hand

Lizzie Dearden8 May 2019 16:08

Footage shows them walking with Mr Thomas on the river side of the pavement and Ms Delcros nearer the road

Seconds before the attack started, a bus filmed the couple walking close to the balustrade along London Bridge

Footage from a bus going in the other direction shows the attackers' van mounting the pavement the the second time just before it struck the couple

Lizzie Dearden8 May 2019 16:17

The court is being played enhanced footage showing the van about to strike Mr Thomas and Ms Delcros from behind at speed

Footage from a different camera on the same bus filmed the van dismounting the pavement afterwards, but the moment of impact was not caught because it was in a blindspot between the two cameras

As the bus moves forward, it shows Ms Delcros being helped by members of the public on the pavement

Lizzie Dearden8 May 2019 16:21

Mr Adamson is questioning the officer on behalf of the family of Xavier Thomas.

He says there was a rising flood tide at the time of the attack, and in the central part of the river the tide was moving between 0.5 and 0.6 metres a second

Lizzie Dearden8 May 2019 16:25

The inquests have now ended for the day and will resume tomorrow. Thank you for reading.

Lizzie Dearden8 May 2019 16:36

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