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.
Mr Ellwood said PC Palmer had lost a significant amount of blood from wounds to his chest, including one that had pierced his lung.
He fell unconscious and his heart and breathing stopped. Mr Ellwood started CPR, doing chest compressions while another person attended to his breathing.
Paramedics and the air ambulance arrived, asking him to continue. An air ambulance doctor, performed open chest surgery at the scene, at one point pumping PC Palmer's heart with his hand.
Mr Ellwood told a doctor that he would have to tell him to stop performing CPR and the doctor replied the affirmative, saying it was all they could do.
Mr Ellwood said that people recognised Parliament's vulnerablilty as a symbol of democracy, and the balance between transparency, allowing members of the public to visit, and security
Mr Ellwood called on people to "step forward" in terror attacks to help, to get the messages that terrorists "will not win". He did not want protective measures to change the face of Parliament and British life
Anthony Davis, who was leaving a charity event at the Palace of Westminster, saw Masood launching the attack on PC Palmer
He described police officers coming towards him shouting at him to run, but he had first aid training and jumped over the fence to help.
Mr Davis "tried to reassure Keith" and notied a head wound first, before noticing the wound heavily under his arm.
Dr Hudson, of the London Air Ambulance team, said he was initially called to an RTC on Westminster Bridge but had an update to say there were at least 20 patients and knew they were en route to a significant incident
They were unable to land immediately in the built-up area and surveyed the scene from the air. The helicopter landed at 14.56
Police at Parliament were not then aware of the extent of casualties on the bridge and knew only of the attack on PC Palmer and casualties immediately around Masood's crashed car
Dr Hudson decided to go directly to Parliament and started working on PC Palmer. He said they started a blood transfusion before the officer went into cardiac arrest, and attempted several other surgical interventions
He said that even in an operating theatre it would have been "extremely rare" to resuscitate anyone with PC Palmer's injuries
A Home Office pathologist found a stab wound that had penetrated so deep it scored the officer's skull, and several other in his chest.
One struck his left lung and hit a major blood vessel and penetrated the heart. The wound had a depth of 18cm.
Others were to his chest and arm, while there were defensive cuts to his arm and wrist
PC Palmer was also stabbed in the thigh. Dr Chapman gave the cause of death as haemorrage as a result of stab wounds to the chest and said his injuries were non-survivable.
Examination of body armour found that where it covered, the blades had not penetrated PC Palmer's skin. The area where the fatal wound was inflicted was not covered, nor would it be by any available body armour apart from that used by some soldiers in Afghanistan.
It would be "unsuitable" for police officers because it restricts their range of movement.
Judge Lucraft is now addressing security outside Parliment.
He says two officers were patrolling New Palace Yard armed with a Glock and Heckler and Koch carbine each.
PC Ashby was "not aware of any post instructions". When asked whether he was aware of 2015 instructions to operate in close proximity to Carriage Gates when they were open, he "was clear that he was not"