Steve Gallant was reluctant to release his identity for the role he played during the London Bridge attack on 29 November 2019. However, after reading the moving words of his brother-in-arms, Darryn Frost, Steve has decided to end the speculation and share his story.
In a statement issued through his lawyers, Hudgell Solicitors, Steve pays tribute to Saskia Jones and his friend Jack Merritt and explains his actions on that day.
He was attending the Learning Together event at Fishmongers’ Hall, this was his first day out on licence since the day of his sentence. Steve was convicted, along with another man, of the murder of Barrie Jackson in Hull in 2005 and was sentenced to 17 years.
Although Steve began his sentence unable to read and write properly, he is now in his third year of completing a business studies degree and has co-written several plays, one of which was recently aired at the Royal Court Theatre.
Steve says: “Nobody has the right to take another’s life and I offer my sincere apologies to my victim’s family for the hurt caused. I can never bring that life back, and it is right that I was handed a severe penalty for my actions.
“Once I’d accepted my punishment, I decided to seek help and vowed never to turn to violence again. When you go to prison, you lose control of your life. Your own future relies on the decisions of others. However, bettering yourself becomes one of the few things you can do while reducing the existing burden on society.”
Steve explains what happened on the day:
“When I heard the noise from downstairs, I went to investigate. There were orders to stay in the conference hall, but I could tell something was wrong and had to help. On my way downstairs I saw injured people. It was obvious who was responsible. Khan was stood in the foyer with two large knives in his hands. He was a clear danger to all, so I didn’t hesitate, I used a narwhal tusk and then a chair to hold him back and prevent him from hurting others. Khan also showed us the bomb around his waist in an attempt to frighten us. We then chased him onto London Bridge and restrained him until the police arrived.”
Learning Together, Jack and Saskia:
Steve met the founders of Learning Together and felt inspired. He applied to take part in the project while in prison. Since then he has spent time working with a team of students from Cambridge to create legal advice guides and has progressed to being a mentor.
“I first met Jack in 2016 when he became a course coordinator. We spent a lot of time together, developing the course and learning from our experiences. Jack didn’t care who you were, he cared about you and your future, he saw who you could become and did not define you by your past. He was a role model and a friend. Like everyone else, I will miss him badly.
“I did not know Saskia personally, but I know she was highly respected and loved by the Learning Together community.
“Losing Jack and Saskia has been an unbearable blow. The sense of loss is immense. But I am certain they would wish us to continue developing Learning Together and enriching the lives of everyone associated. It has strengthened my resolve to keep doing positive things and continue contributing to Learning Together.
“I would like to say thank you to everyone who did their best on that tragic day and I hope that the injured recover as quickly as possible. Lukasz and John were extremely brave. I would also like to say a special thanks to Darryn. Had he not passed me the narwhal tusk at that crucial moment, not only could I have been killed, the situation could have been even worse.”
