Bereaved families of those who died in the Westminster Bridge attack in 2017 want an investigation into the failure of tackling online extremism and radicalisation in prisons.
52-year-old Khalid Masood was shot dead by the police on 22nd March 2017, after he drove a rented car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, and then fatally stabbed PC Keith Palmer, 48, who was on duty at the Palace of Westminster.
At the Old Bailey, Gareth Patterson QC called for the coroner to investigate the problems that emerge in “terrorist trial after terrorist trial”. He said, “Terrorist trial after terrorist trail shows the same problems. Why is it that radical material continues to be freely available on the internet? We do not understand.
Patterson also wanted the inquest to clarify “how it was this attacker was able to get through those gates and how it was PC Palmer was apparently stationed alone and unarmed with, it seems, inadequate body protection”.
Furthermore, the court also heard that Khalid Masood was allegedly high on anabolic steroids when he drove the vehicle into pedestrian and killed the police officer.
An inquest at the Old Bailey into the deaths of the five victims is to take place from 10th September, expected to last up to four weeks. A separate inquest by jury will follow into the death of Masood.
