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A convicted killer who helped stop the London Bridge terror attack last November will have his sentence cut after the Queen’s intervention.
Steven Gallant, 42, was at large at an event for Reformed prisoners at Fishmongers’ Hall when Usman Khan began his attack.
Gallant, armed only with a narwhal tusk, helped restrain Khan, who was wearing a fake suicide vest and armed with two knives.
Saskia Jones and Jack Merritt had been at a prisoner rehab event when they were killed.
Khan was shot and killed by police, but not before he killed Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, both as part of the Learning Together scheme to help prisoners access education.
Several other people were injured.
Gallant had been on leave after being jailed for life in 2005 with a minimum period of 17 years after he was one of two men who killed 33-year-old firefighter Barrie Jackson in Hull.
The Justice Ministry said the Queen had used the little-used “Royal Prerogative of Mercy” to bring Gallant’s case to the parole board 10 months earlier.
The monarch used power on the advice of Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland.
Gallant had been on leave when the attack unfolded last November.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: “The Lord Chancellor has granted Steven Gallant a Royal Prerogative of Mercy by reducing his minimum 10-month fee in recognition of his exceptionally courageous actions at Fishmongers’ Hall, which helped save lives despite the tremendous risk”. yours. “
The parole board has the final decision, but Gallant is unlikely to be denied release.
It is reported that he has expressed remorse for the murder of Mr. Jackson, who was beaten to death outside a pub.
He has not faced any loss of privilege for the past 10 years, has addressed substance abuse before, and is studying for a business degree.
Jack Merritt’s father David, 55, said Gallant “fully deserves this pardon or sentence reduction.”
He told the Sunday Mirror: “He’s fantastic. He was very close to Jack and he turned his life around and reformed. I’m very happy for him.”
