Reading terror inquest: Killer's deportation dropped before murders

Efforts to deport a Libyan refugee were dropped shortly before he murdered three men in a terrorist attack in a park, a coroner has heard.

Khairi Saadallah's deportation was initially stalled because he faced charges, including eating a police station mattress, the hearing was told.

The process was then dropped because of the war in Libya, the court heard.

In June 2020, Saadallah stabbed James Furlong, Joe Ritchie-Bennett and David Wails in Forbury Gardens, Reading.

He was handed a whole-life sentence at the Old Bailey in 2021 after pleading guilty to three murders and three attempted murders.

The refugee, then aged 25, shouted "Allahu akhbar" as he fatally stabbed the three friends on the evening of 20 June.

A refugee charity boss told the hearing Saadallah's "potential for radicalisation" was apparent when he came into contact with him in November 2016.

Nick Harborne, chief executive of Reading Refugee Support Group, said: "When he informed us he wanted to go home and fight to avenge his brother's death, this was also the point where he said he wanted to go and martyr himself."

Mr Harborne said the charity spent four years trying to arrange mental health support for Saadallah.

On 24 July 2019, Saadallah was arrested and taken to Reading police station, the hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice was told.

Nicholas Moss KC, counsel to the inquest, said in court papers: "On that date, Saadallah is said to have... spat at a detention officer after arrest and damaged a mattress by eating it."

He was charged with being drunk and disorderly, destroying or damaging property and assault by beating of an emergency worker, the hearing was told.

On 28 May 2020, the Home Office emailed Thames Valley Police stating it was planning to deport Saadallah but was unable to until the charges were dealt with, the coroner heard.

It asked the police to consider dropping them, which prosecutors did the following day, the hearing was told.

However, on 4 June - 16 days before the murders - the Home Office decided the refugee could not be deported because of unsafe conditions in Libya.

Judge Coroner Lord Justice Fulford told the court "no relevant stone will be left unturned" during the inquest, due to be held next year.

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