Dad got heartbreaking message from son on day he died in Reading terror attack

15 January 2024 , 16:55

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James Furlong, 36, died in the Reading terror attack in June 2020 (Image: PA)

The dad of Reading terror attack victim James Furlong has told an inquest he received a Father's Day card from his son on the day he died.

James, a 36-year-old teacher, was killed alongside Joseph Ritchie-Bennett and David Wails on June 20, 2020 in the city's Forbury Gardens by Libyan refugee Khairi Saadallah.

Three other people, Stephen Young, Patrick Edwards and Nishit Nisudan, were also injured before Saadallah threw away the eight-inch (20cm) knife and ran off, pursued by an off-duty police officer.

The full inquest into their deaths began at the Old Bailey on Monday, where distant CCTV footage of the killings was played to the court as well as recordings of distressing 999 calls.

Speaking at the inquest, Mr Furlong’s father Gary said he “received my last Father’s Day card from James on the day of his death which, with a broken heart, I opened the following day.”

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Mr Furlong’s father, Gary Furlong, spoke of receiving a Father's Day card on the day after he died (PA)

Khairi Saadallah, killed James along with Joseph Ritchie-Bennett and David Wails in Reading's Forbury Gardens (PA)

Mr Furlong said James "always sent humorous cards for birthdays, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day", and that "true to form" the card he opened "made a joke about the size of my stomach.” In a tribute, his mother, Jan, told the inquest: "We are forever grateful for the amazing 36 years we had James in our lives. He achieved more than most people achieve in a long lifetime.

"We must celebrate and remember how James lived, the qualities he lived by, and not how he died. In James’s memory, if we all improve these qualities in our own lives, then his legacy will live on in all of us. But most importantly, as James would famously tell the pupils at the end of the school day: ‘Be safe, be careful, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do’."

Gary Furlong made a statement to the media outside the Old Bailey, London, for the inquest into his son's death (PA)

In January 2021, the killer Saadallah was handed a whole-life sentence at the Old Bailey after pleading guilty to three murders and three attempted murders. Judge Coroner Sir Adrian Fulford, overseeing the inquest, said the evidence the court will hear will “undoubtedly be challenging to listen to”.

Mr Wright, of Thames Valley Police, also gave evidence from the witness box on Monday in which he said Saadallah was “pretty indiscriminate” in who he targeted in the attacks. Counsel to the inquest, Nicholas Moss KC, asked the officer for his assessment on why Saadallah could be seen giving money away to charity before the killings, to which he replied: “I assess that was him cleansing himself and preparing himself for jihad.”

The inquest heard Saadallah was 'pretty indiscriminate' in who he targeted in the attacks (PA)

Addressing whether or not homophobia was a motivation for the murders, Mr Wright told the court: “My assessment was that KS targeted these victims because of where they were, not because of who they were.” Mr Wright agreed with Mr Moss that the victims had “no chance to react, let alone defend themselves”.

The inquest heard that 38 calls to 999 were made after the attacks, and one was played to the court in which a distressed member of the public said: “Just get loads of police here now, do it now.” The full inquest will look at the management of Saadallah while in prison and on probation, as well as his mental health.

The assessment and response to his risk of terrorism before the attacks will also come under scrutiny. The inquest, which is scheduled to last six weeks, continues.

Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas