LONDON: The brother of the Fishmongers’ Hall terrorist Usman Khan has apologized to the families of the two victims.
Khan’s sibling, whose name was retracted from public disclosure for legal reasons, addressed the families of Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones, who were both fatally stabbed by Khan in central London in November 2019.
At the inquest into their deaths, Khan’s brother said he was “truly sad and sorry” for what had happened to Merritt and Jones. He told the inquest that as a child, Khan kept to himself.
The attacker became radicalized as a teenager, distributing extremist literature in 2008. He was later convicted of a plot to bomb several of the capital’s landmarks, including the London Stock Exchange, which his brother said was “a total shock” to the family.
Khan was released from prison in 2018 after his original sentence was reduced. His sibling said he would regularly visit his family but was dismissive of conversations about his radical past.
Khan engaged with several prisoner education programs during and after his time in jail. He was a poster boy for the Learning Together initiative and traveled to London on Nov. 29, 2019, for an event hosted by the program.
On the day of the attack, Khan hid in a toilet cubicle in Fishmongers’ Hall before shaving his body hair and strapping two knives to his fists.
Later that day, his mother became worried because she could not get hold of him, the inquest heard. “Her thing was that he might be hurt,” Khan’s brother said.
Later that day, police visited the family home and informed them that Khan had been shot dead.
His sibling told the inquest of his shock at the news, adding: “We totally condemn his actions.” The inquest into the deaths of Merritt and Jones is ongoing.
