Advertisement

'I have shed many tears': Mother of London attacker condemns son

The mother of the man responsible for London’s terror attack has condemned her son’s actions, saying she has shed many tears for those he killed.

Under police guard for her own safety, Janet Ajao broke her silence on Khalid Masood’s rampage on Westminster Bridge that killed three people and injured 50 more before he fled through the gates of Parliament and fatally stabbed a police officer.

"I am so deeply shocked, saddened and numbed by the actions my son has taken that have killed and injured innocent people in Westminster,” Ms Ajao said.

"Since discovering that it was my son that was responsible I have shed many tears for the people caught up in this horrendous incident."

Her son was eventually shot dead by the defence secretary’s security guard outside London’s Houses of Parliament.

Khalid Masood was shot dead following a terror attack that started on London's Westminster Bridge. Source: AP

(From left) PC Keith Palmer, Kurt Cochran and Aysha Frade all died in the attack.

After her country home was searched by anti-terror officers, the 69-year-old mother distanced herself from her son’s actions.

"I wish to make it absolutely clear, so there can be no doubt, I do not condone his actions nor support the beliefs he held that led to him committing this atrocity,” Ms Ajao added.

"I wish to thank my friends, family and community from the bottom of my heart for the love and support given to us."


A woman holds a seriously injured man on Westminster Bridge. Source: Reuters

Roughly 50 people were injured to varying extents when a Hyundai ploughed through pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge. Source: AAP

The damning statements come as British police announced they have found no evidence that Masood had any association with Islamic State or al-Qaeda, despite ISIS attempting to take credit.

Neil Basu, senior national coordinator for UK counter-terrorism policing, said there was no evidence that Masood had been radicalised in prison in 2003 and it was pure speculation to suggest that had happened.

While Masood had several previous convictions for offences such as grievous bodily harm, possession of a knife and public order offences, he had not been convicted of any terrorism offence.

A woman believed to be the one who jumped or fell from the Westminster Bridge treated by paramedics. Photo: Fameflynet.uk.com

The sequence of terror that unfolded at London's Westminster for about 20 minutes on Wednesday afternoon.

"His attack method appears to be based on low sophistication, low tech, low cost techniques copied from other attacks, and echo the rhetoric of IS leaders in terms of methodology and attacking police and civilians, but at this stage I have no evidence he discussed this with others," Mr Basu said in a statement.

Speculation that Masood had sent encrypted messages moments before the attack remains a line of investigation.

"There has been much speculation about who Masood was in contact with immediately prior to the attack," Basu said.

"All I will say on this point is that Masood's communications that day are a main line of enquiry."

Masood was shot dead following the rampage. Picture: 7 News