Inquest into deaths of three men killed in terror attack at Reading's Forbury Gardens to begin

James Furlong, 36, David Wails, 49, and Joe Ritchie-Bennett, 39, were murdered by Khairi Saadallah in Forbury Gardens in June 2020. Credit: ITV Meridian

An inquest into the deaths of three men killed in a terror attack in Reading will begin today. (Monday 15 January)

James Furlong, 36, David Wails, 49, and Joe Ritchie-Bennett, 39, were murdered by Khairi Saadallah in Forbury Gardens on 20 June 2020.

Saadallah, a Libyan refugee, shouted "Allahu akhbar [God is greatest]" as he fatally stabbed the three friends.

He was handed a whole life sentence for their murders in January 2021.

Forensic teams carried out investigations at Forbury Gardens following the attacks Credit: ITV Meridian

James Furlong, originally from Liverpool, was head of history and government and politics at the Holt School in Wokingham.

Dr David Wails was a scientist who lived in Reading.

Joe Ritchie-Bennett was a US citizen who had lived in the UK for 15 years and worked for a pharmaceutical company in Reading.

Three other men, Stephen Young, Patrick Edwards and Nishit Nisudan were seriously injured in the attack.

Khairi Saadallah, originally from Tripoli, came to the UK in 2012, having fought in the Libyan revolution as a teenager. Credit: ITV Meridian

Saadallah had a history of mental health issues, previous criminal convictions and had been released from prison just days before the attack.

Previously at a Pre-Inquest Review hearing Counsel to the Inquest, Nicholas Moss KC, said Saadallah had been charged by Reading police in July 2019 with being drunk and disorderly, destroying or damaging property, and assault of an emergency worker.

Home Office staff emailed Thames Valley Police on 28 May 2020 stating that they had planned to deport Saadallah but were unable to do so “until the charges had been dealt with”.

At the same time, the Home Office had been preparing submissions that it was not possible to deport Saadallah to Libya due to country conditions at the time.

Saadallah was due to face the charges in court in July 2020, but the CPS dropped the charges on 1 June 2020, three weeks before the murderous attack on 20 June.

The charges were dropped due to what may have been a misunderstanding or miscommunication between the Home Office and the CPS, said Mr Moss.

The inquest is scheduled to last for six weeks and is due to conclude on 23 February, 2024.

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