London Bridge victim’s father accuses PM of lying during TV debate

The father of London Bridge terror attack victim, Jack Merritt, has slammed the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, for lying during the BBC Election Debate with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Friday evening.

David Merritt, whose son Jack was one of two people killed by convicted terrorist Usman Khan, took to social media to claim Johnson had used his 25-year-old son’s death to “make political capital” and to take the country “for a ride”.

Writing on Twitter on Saturday, Merritt said “Wake up Britain: this man is a fraud. He’s the worst of us, and he’s taking you for a ride. You may think the options open to you in this election are not entirely to your liking. Me neither, but I’ll be voting least worst option: anti-Tory.”

Challenged on the attack during the final head-to-head between Johnson and Corbyn, the PM said he had “huge sympathy” for both victims’ families. “It was a terrible thing,” he said.

"But I still think it's wrong that someone like Usman Khan, who was sentenced 21 years or 16 years plus five on licence, should have been out automatically on eight years.”

In response, Merritt wrote: “We don’t know all the fact[s] about this case yet, and we won’t know for some time – the inquest could take up to two years”.

“There is no justification at all for cutting the early release tariff from a half to a third of sentences for all sentences over four years that carry a maximum life sentence – that’s just trying to look tough on the backs of other prisoners’ suffering..”

“We don’t know why Khan killed, or what, if anything could have been done differently to prevent it. Let’s have an enquiry, not a witch hunt,” he added.

Cambridge University graduates Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones, 23, were attacked by Usman Khan during a prisoner rehabilitation event at Fishmongers’ Hall on Friday November 29.

Khan attacked five people armed with two kitchen knives and wearing a fake suicide vest before he was tackled by members of the public on London Bridge and then shot dead by police.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk