Charges dropped against Reading terrorist days before attack because of deportation ‘misunderstanding’

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Charges were dropped against a terrorist days before he murdered three people because of a “misunderstanding” over a botched Home Office attempt to deport him, an inquest has heard. open image in gallery Khairi Saadallah was given a whole-life term for the Reading terror attack “Whatever the right and wrongs of that, it appears from that exchange between the CPS and the Home Office charges were dropped, due to what may be thought to have been a misunderstanding or miscommunication about the status of Mr Saadallah,” he added. Documents presented to Monday’s hearing show that Home Office witnesses will be called to explain Saadallah’s immigration history, the decision to grant him discretionary leave to remain in the UK, whether there was any possibility of deportation to Libya and the department’s “involvement in the decision not to pursue charges against Saadallah” before he launched his brutal knife attack. open image in gallery Joseph Ritchie-Bennett, James Furlong and David Wails, the three victims of the Reading attack Mr Moss said Saadallah was known to be “impulsive, aggressive and violent”, but that professionals who were alerted to his “expression of extremist views saw it as being predominantly a mental health issue, whereas the mental health clinicians saw his condition as being a personality disorder, which was difficult to treat”.