2020 Reading stabbing

Forbury Gardens is a small public park in the centre of Reading, about 64 kilometres west of London. It stands on the site of the old abbey gateway, with lawns, flowerbeds and a paved walkway. The gardens are bordered by Friar Street and the Inner Distribution Road. On the evening of 20 June 2020, people were gathering there after the first Covid-19 lockdown. The park was busy with groups sitting and talking before pubs reopened a fortnight later. The attack left three men dead and three others seriously injured. Police arrived within minutes of the first emergency call at 18:56. Officers chased and detained the attacker on Friar Street five minutes after the call. The man was later identified as Khairi Saadallah, a 25-year-old Libyan refugee. He had been released from prison 17 days earlier after serving a sentence for assault and carrying a blade. Forbury Gardens was closed for three weeks while police investigated. The roads reopened on 1 July and the gardens on 10 July. The inquest in April 2024 found that the murders were avoidable. Failings in intelligence sharing between police, probation and mental health services were highlighted. The attacker was sentenced to a whole-life term in January 2021.