LONDON – Queen Elizabeth II has approved a rare royal pardon for a prisoner convicted of murder who used a narcissistic tusk to help prevent a terrorist attack in which two people were killed before an assailant was killed by police on London Bridge.
A Justice Department spokesman said in a statement Monday that the decision to pardon the killer, Steven Gallant, was in recognition of his “exceptionally brave deeds”, which “helped save lives despite the enormous risk to themselves.” If a parole board approves, Mr Gallant’s sentence of at least 17 years will be reduced to 10 months.
The attack took place at a prisoner rehabilitation conference in November 2019 when a former inmate who was present stabbed two young rehabilitation advocates, Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones, and eventually escaped after being captured on London Bridge. The attacker, Usman Khan, 28, was shot dead by police and three others were injured. Mr Khan served eight years for terrorism-related offenses but was released in December 2018.
Mr. Gallant, who was imprisoned in 2005, was among a crowd that gathered to bring down the assailant with an unconventional weapon: Narhal Tusk, a wall decoration in the Fish Historic Building Fishmongers Hall. Conference. He was in jail for a day at the prison’s release program when he heard voices and saw injured people.
He saw Mr. Khan holding two large knives and wearing a fake bomb on his waist. “It was a clear threat to all, so I didn’t hesitate,” Mr. Gallant said in a statement in January.
He used a chair and a tusk, approached by a civilian employee, to confront the assailant, chased him on London Bridge and helped stop him before police arrived. The male narwhal, a species of whale, is a straight tusk that can grow up to nine feet in length; This one was about five feet.
His lawyer, Neil Hajgal, said the apology was welcome news, adding that Mr Gallant hoped to set a “positive example” for others after spending time in prison. “They are keen to use their knowledge and experience to keep others away from crime,” he said. Mr Gallant will be eligible for parole next June, however, the parole board will have to make a final statement on whether he will be released as soon as possible.
He was convicted along with another man in 2005 of killing firefighter Barry Jackson in the coastal town of Hull. Mr Jackson’s son said he had “mixed feelings of separation”, The Daily Mirror reported. “But what happened on London Bridge goes to show the reality that people can change.”
Mr Gallant has apologized to Mr Jackson’s family and said he had accepted their sentence. “No one has the right to take another’s life,” he said in a January statement, vowing to make himself better and “never turn to violence again.”
David Merritt, one of the two victims of the terrorist attack, told the Daily Mirror that the apology was “absolutely” deserving. Mr Merritt said he had turned his life around in prison, and that he was close to his son. Mr. Gallant has called Jack Merritt a role model and friend.
The Queen may use “mercy bias”, which reduces penalties for criminal offenses, but rarely does. An amnesty for early release is generally recommended by the authorities in exceptional circumstances, such as if a prisoner risks his or her safety to death or seriously injure another.
Although the Queen signs a royal pardon, the decision is ultimately in the hands of the government – in this case the Ministry of Justice – said Dickie Arbiter, a former Buckingham Palace spokesman. “Until it reaches him, it’s a complete deal,” he said. “She just rubber-stamped it.”
Although it was not private about the decision, Mr. Arbiter said Mr. Gallant risked his life during the day outside the prison for the safety of others, which could help his case. “They could have just walked away and ignored him, but he wasn’t.”
Forgiveness is very unusual for those convicted of murder. Before Mr. Gallant, the last significant apology for the murder was given to Sean O’Calla, a paramilitary member of the Irish Republican Army released in 1996.
