Westminster attack inquest: Khalid Masood was 'looking for next victim' before he was shot

Court shown distressing footage of moment PC Keith Palmer was stabbed to death

An inquest is examining the deaths in the March 2017 attack (Getty)

The man who stabbed PC Keith Palmer to death in the Westminster terror attack was looking for his next victim before he was shot dead, an Old Bailey inquest has heard.

Khalid Masood, 52, attacked PC Palmer at New Palace Yard outside Parliament on 22 March last year.

Masood mowed down and killed four people on Westminster Bridge before crashing his 4x4 into the railings outside Parliament and knifing the police officer.

The inquest heard how the attacker was heading straight towards the entrance used by MPs before he was shot dead by a plainclothes officer.

“He was looking for another victim," a witness to the events, John Campbell, told the court.

The inquest also heard how CCTV footage showed no firearms officers near Parliament’s Carriage Gates — the entrance to New Palace Yard — for at least 46 minutes prior to the attack.

Dominic Adamson, the lawyer representing PC Palmer’s widow, Michelle, said the gates were regarded as one of the most “identifiable and exploitable weaknesses” in the area.

Mr Adamson said the arrangements meant an unarmed officer would be left only with a can of CS spray and a baton against Mr Masood, who had two knives.

“It’s not an equal fight, a spray against knives,” said Mr Adamson.

PC James Ross, a former authorised firearms officer, told the court armed officers used to be stationed at the heavy open gates, but in 2017 they switched to a “roving patrol”.

“It’s changed now for the better. There’s more protection," he added.

The inquest was also shown an image of the attacker carrying a carving knife in each hand and “distressing” footage of the stabbing.

Another witness, James West, told the court Masood was “stabbing downwards, like you see in a horror film”.

“I remember being amazed because the officer managed to get up after being attacked, after being stabbed so many times.”

Fatally wounded, PC Palmer got back to his feet but collapsed again as he bled out from wounds to his head and back.

Another witness, John Campbell, said Masood was “animated and frenzied” after wrestling free of the officer.

He watched the attacker move towards the MPs’ entrance before he was shot three times by a plainclothes officer.

The court also heard how Masood had threatened people on the street as he left his car and moved towards the Carriage Gates entrance to Old Palace Yard.

Witness Carl Knight said the attacker shouted “f**k off, you don’t want to mess with me” to a pedestrian.

Gareth Patterson QC, acting on behalf of some of the victims’ families, raised the possibility Masood could have been trying to reach MPs or even the prime minister

He asked senior parliamentary assistant Antonia Kerridge: “If he had made it to the members’ entrance does it allow him access to the Chamber?”

She said there was a network of corridors and rooms, but they would eventually lead there.

In audio played at the Old Bailey, a rescue worker with PC Palmer shortly after the attack could be heard urging him to fight for his life, stating: “Keith, come on son.”

An ambulance arrived on the scene just before 3pm but efforts to save PC Palmer’s life stopped at 3.15pm.

Additional reporting by Press Association