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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

D/Supt Riggs is telling the court how police set up control units on the night to coordinate the response with the London Ambulance Service and other agencies

The London Air Ambulance arrived at 10.45pm but were "initially kept away from the scene over fears for their safety" but the doctor assisted with triage north of the bridge

Lizzie Dearden8 May 2019 10:56

Explosive teams arrived in Stoney Street at 11.16pm and found the suicide vests to be a hoax

D/Supt Riggs said that at that time it was apparent they were dead, but they were not formally pronounced dead until later

Lizzie Dearden8 May 2019 10:57

Jonathan Hough QC, counsel to the inquests, says many emergency service personnel were on the scene

The court is being shown an animation of where vehicles were in the aftermath of the attack, including the emergency services, buses, taxis and cars

Lizzie Dearden8 May 2019 11:01

The animation shows the locations where different victims were attacked, at the top of the stairs down from Borough High Street down to Borough Market

The attackers then moved into a courtyard where Boro Bistro sits and several victims were fatally stabbed

The animation is following the paths taken by victims as they tried to escape, including nurse Kirsty Boden, who died in an alleyway

Lizzie Dearden8 May 2019 11:04
Lizzie Dearden8 May 2019 11:04

The court is still being taken through an animated reconstruction of the attack, which is now showing where the terrorists drove the van onto the pavement on London Bridge, killing Xavier Thomas and Chrissy Archibald

They crashed into railings outside the Barrowboy and Banker Pub, got out and started the stabbing rampage

Lizzie Dearden8 May 2019 11:15
Lizzie Dearden8 May 2019 11:16

The court has risen for a break and the inquests will resume shortly

Lizzie Dearden8 May 2019 11:24

The hearing has resumed and the court is being shown the animated reconstruction of the attack

It shows the path of the attackers as they stabbed members of the public outside restaurants and bars, and walking down the street, at random

The first two people were stabbed metres from where the van crashed but survived, then Sara Zelenak was fatally stabbed at the stop of stonr stairs that led down to Green Dragon Court

Alexandre Pigeard and Sebastien Belanger were killed there, two other people were stabbed in the courtyard by Southwark Cathedral

Kirsty Boden ran from the attackers down a nearby alleyway and collapsed and several other people were stabbed in the courtyard. James McMullan was found stabbed in the same place, directly below where the van crashed

Lizzie Dearden8 May 2019 11:38

The animation has the locations of where people were found stabbed and their named

Moving down Borough High Street, it shows the group of people stabbed where Ignacio Echeverría was killed. A couple and two police officers who intervened survived

Lizzie Dearden8 May 2019 11:41

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