Westminster attack inquests - as they happened: Widow of officer killed by terrorist says police 'left him to die' unarmed on Parliament gates
Coroner to draw up 'prevention of future deaths' report with recommendations for police
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“Shortcomings in security” outside the Houses of Parliament contributed to the death of a police officer during the Westminster attack, a coroner has concluded.
Judge Mark Lucraft QC, the Chief Coroner of England and Wales, said the Metropolitan Police had allowed the entrance PC Keith Palmer was guarding to be neglected by “roving” armed officers.
PC Palmer's widow said he was "left to die", adding: "How could Keith have been left alone, unarmed, guarding an open gate at one of the most iconic buildings in the world and one of the country’s top terrorist targets?”
Judge Lucraft is to draw up a “prevention of future deaths report” that will contain recommendations for the Metropolitan Police and parliamentary security officials.
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Masood, 52, drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge on March 22 last year, killing American tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, Aysha Frade, 44, and Romanian tourist Andreea Cristea, 31.
Their relatives expressed hope that "lessons had been learned" from the gruelling three-week inquests.
Delivering his conclusions at the Old Bailey, Judge Lucraft said the two armed officers assigned to the area had not been near Carriage Gates for almost an hour before Khalid Masood struck because they were unaware of official guidance.
“They had been some distance away and out of view of the entrance because they had understood their duty to involve a roving patrol around the yard,” Judge Lucraft said.
“Due to shortcomings in the security system at New Palace Yard, including the supervision of those engaged in such duties, the armed officers were not aware of a requirement to remain in close proximity to the gates.
“Had they been stationed there, it is possible that they may have been able to prevent PC Palmer suffering fatal injuries.”
PC Palmer's widow said her husband had been “left to die” by security failings and accused authorities of letting “lax security” continue at the Houses of Parliament for years.
In his closing argument, Gareth Patterson QC, for families of victims on the bridge, urged the coroner to make a report on the circumstances of the case to “protect the public”.
On the role of MI5, whose knowledge of Masood has been heavily scrutinised, he said: “We do think there is room for improvement in terms of decision-making.”
He suggested security services should look again at when to investigate suspects and when to stop, and to take account of violent backgrounds.
Mr Patterson also called for the Government to “try again” with tightening rules for hiring cars.
Dominic Adamson, representing PC Palmer's widow Michelle, said that there was “a systematic failure” in protecting unarmed officers on guard at the Palace of Westminster.
The coroner is pausing there for lunch and will resume giving his conclusions at 2.05pm.
Parties are arriving back into court for the coronor to resume giving his conclusions.
Judge Lucraft QC is resuming evidence about the City Cruises boat that first encountered Ms Cristea in the river but believed she was already dead.
Boat staff said there were "no signs of life" and that to bring a body on board a "boat full of children" would be distressing. They said they did not have the means to bring Ms Cristea on the boat.
They did not believe they could have transferred her to the fire brigade boat any quicker. The captain said that by the time he could have got the "man overboard" ladder into position, she would have floated away.
A firefighter on the LFB boat said they were on the scene within three minutes of the call and confirmed that Ms Cristea was not showing any signs of life when they recovered her from the water.
He saw a "lot of children" on the City Cruises boat, many of whom were filming on their phones.
The firefighter noted that Ms Cristea had a large head injury and was not conscious and started administering oxygen, finding a weak pulse.
"They were talking to her and trying to get a response, letting her know they were doing their best to help her".
Firefighters saw Ms Cristea's eyes moving and she started breathing more strongly before being handed over to an ambulance.
Ms Cristea was taken to hospital by ambulance and a doctor recorded a "significant head injury" and was in "respiratory distress" on arrival. She had a number of "very severe injuries", was hypothermic and had lost a lot of blood.
A chest x-ray showed shadows on both lungs and she had to be intubated. Her skull was found to be fractured and she had brain injuries.
A consultant in critical care from St Bart's Hospital, where she was transferred on 23 March, said she had undergone surgery to remove blood from around her brain at the Royal London.
Dr Baston said the degree of injuries to her cranium and lungs meant the "likelihood of survival was low" but did all they could to ensure they could to ensure that if she survived it would be with as few long-lasting effect as possible.
On 6 April, support was withdrawn and she died that afternoon with her family beside her side.
Doctors believe it was unlikely that Ms Cristea being pulled from the water minutes earlier would have made a significant difference to her prognosis.
A doctor found she died as a consequence of an act of violence, with a head injury that rendered her immediately unconscious. That made her more likely to take in water because she was unable to swim when she fell into the water.
A doctor believed she would not have survived if she had been recovered from the water to minutes earlier or attended to by a more specialist team of medics.