London Bridge terror inquest: Terrorists were calm before their killing rampage

Their frenzied attack began after the jihadists mowed down pedestrians with a rental Renault van on London Bridge. Now a witness has revealed what it was like to see them up close.

A man who came face-to-face with the London Bridge terrorists told how they were calm and methodical as they carried out their rampage.

An inquest into the attacks has entered its third week at London’s Central Criminal Court before Chief Coroner Judge Mark Lucraft, QC, who is examining the victims’ deaths, intelligence failures and other security mistakes.

Khuram Butt, 27, was the first terrorist to be fatally shot at 10.16pm, nine minutes after the attack was launched on June 3, 2017, in the capital’s inner southeast.

His accomplices, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, were shot dead shortly after.

Their frenzied attack began after the jihadists mowed down pedestrians with a rental Renault van on London Bridge before stabbing bystanders, enjoying a night out in the Borough Market and on a nearby high street, with kitchen knives tied to their wrists.

They were also wearing fake explosive vests.

Youssef Zaghba, Khuram Shazad Butt and Rachid Redouane. Picture: AFP

British man Simon Edwards told the Old Bailey how he had just left the Borough Market’s Wheatsheaf pub after having drinks with friends when he saw the three terrorists approaching in a line.

Despite all the commotion from members of the public on the street, Mr Edwards said Redouane, Zaghba and Butt continued to walk in formation at a “normal pace”.

“They didn’t seem to fit in with everyone else’s reaction,” he said.

Mr Edwards was quickly pulled back inside the pub by his wife and joined a group of people watching the horror unfold outside through the windows.

Butt — who was wearing an Arsenal football shirt — tried to kick in the pub’s locked door before smashing in several small windows.

The eight victims killed in the June 3, 2017, terror attack on London Bridge and Borough market. Picture: AFP

Mr Edwards, standing with just glass between him and Butt, said despite the jihadist’s violent attempts to enter the building “he seemed very calm”.

Butt only left to join Redouane and Zaghba in a vicious attack on passer-by Antonio Filis who was the last person to be injured.

“I was under the impression they were trying to inflict as much injury to him as they could,” he said.

London Bridge terror attackers filmed a week before the attack, near a gym where Khurum Butt worked. L to R Rachid Redouane, left, Khuram Butt, centre, and Youssef Zaghba, right. Picture: The Times

Mr Edwards told the court the pub then suddenly filled with blue light as armed police arrived on scene and fatally shot the attackers.

He received shrapnel wounds when the police opened fire and a man behind him suffered a head-wound but survived.

They murdered eight people and injured a further 48.

Brisbane au pair Sara Zelenak, 21, and South Australian nurse Kirsty Boden, 28, were killed and while Brisbane waitress Candice Hedge, 36, was stabbed in the neck.

PC Tim Andrews told the court he and colleagues confronted the terrorists on the market’s Middle Road despite being armed only with stab-proof vests and batons.

Australian Sara Zelenak who was killed in London Bridge terror attack. Picture: Supplied

He said he made an emergency call on his radio before bravely trying to lure the knife wielding terrorists towards where he armed officers were located.

Instead, glass began to smash around the officers which injured PC Tchorzewski.

After briefly losing sight, they were quickly found before being shot.

PC Andrews said one of the attackers was “pacing around” as if he was “looking for someone else to attack”.

The inquest continues.