Westminster attacker Khalid Masood shot ‘too late’, inquest hears

Westminster attacker Khalid Masood was shot dead “too late”, an MP’s assistant has told an inquest into his death.

Matthew Jordan watched the events of 22 March last year unfold from Portcullis House opposite new Palace Yard.

Masood, 52, had two large knives and had already fatally stabbed PC Keith Palmer and killed four pedestrians when he was confronted by two armed bodyguards.

Giving evidence at the Old Bailey inquest, Mr Jordan said there were clear instructions for Masood to stop.

“He looked very intent on continuing,” Mr Jordan said.

“He was clearly trying to get further into the parliamentary estate. There was no sign he was going to stop.”

Mr Jordan said his immediate thought was that the incident was a terrorist attack.

“I was not under any illusions there, and it was clear that he was a very dangerous threat and he was stopped,” he said.

“They stopped it too late, but it was stopped.”

Mr Jordan said there were up to three shots in “very quick succession”.

“He [Masood] immediately fell on his back and it was at that point the police and close protection officers began to move towards him to disarm him and check he was dead really.”

Jurors at the inquest appeared shocked as they watched footage of people being thrown into the air when Masood drove on the pavement on Westminster Bridge, heading towards the Houses of Parliament.

Some jurors held their heads in their hands after seeing mother-of-two Aysha Frade, 44, being hit from behind and sent flying into the path of a bus.

Addressing Mr Jordan, Hugo Keith QC, representing the Metropolitan Police, said: “When Masood ran towards the close protection officers you described how it was obvious there had been shouts.

“You believed that one of them shouted, but when you first spoke to police you said you could hear them shouting?”

Mr Jordan said: “It could have been one, it could have been both of them. Either way clear instructions were shouted.”

CCTV footage showed jurors the moment two close protection officers rushed to the scene from inside parliament and shouted at Masood to stop.

They then saw the moment he was shot three times by the bodyguard.

The inquest will resume on Monday morning.

(c) Sky News 2018: Westminster attacker Khalid Masood shot ‘too late’, inquest hears