CONVICTED murderer Steve Gallant found himself an unlikely ‘hero’ when he confronted a rampaging jihadist on London Bridge.
But the ex-offender, who was serving time for murdering a firefighter, revealed he was already concerned about the terror threat to Britain – after watching extremists groom new inmates behind bars and wage gruesome ‘prison wars’ against other gangs.
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Steve and Darren helped eliminate the terrorist Usman before the police arrivedCredit: PA
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Cameras showed Steve carrying a narwhal tusk before tackling Usman on the bridgeCredit: PA
Alongside Ministry of Justice official Darryn Frost, Steve confronted knife-wielding Usman Khan after the monster killed Cambridge students Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, during an offender rehabilitation event at Fishmongers Hall in November 2019.
As the fanatic tore down a building to kill more innocents on London Bridge, Steve and Darryn stripped the 5ft narwhal tusks from the wall and gave chase, forcing Usman to submit while fellow inmate John Crilly blasted the ISIS sympathizer with a machine gun. for extinguishing fires.
Steve, 46, was granted a royal prerogative of mercy which reduced his sentence by 10 months in recognition of his bravery.
But in his new book, The Road to London Bridge, he reveals how his time inside gave him for the first time a terrifying insight into the minds of Britain’s most dangerous extremists.
He says: “Khan planned attacks on the stock exchange, parliament and the US embassy and was one of a number of Islamic terrorists who entered the prison system while I was inside.
“There was great concern that extremism would lead to the radicalization of people in prison. I can tell you that the fear was justified.”
Steve tells how HMP Frankland, where he served most of his sentence, was a hotbed of radicalization with Muslim extremists targeting vulnerable prisoners.
He describes how the prison war broke out “for dear life” after al-Qaeda operative Dhiren Barot, 51, had a pan of boiling fat poured over his head in 2007.
Barot, convicted last year of planning mass murder on a ‘colossal and unprecedented scale’ in America and Britain, was respected by his ‘brothers’.
In retaliation, another terrorist, Omar Khyam, who is serving 20 years in prison for planning a fertilizer bomb attack in London, doused white armed robber Malcolm Cruddas with hot oil.
Steve writes: “Now there was a battle for control of the wings. Those who started the fire made deadly enemies.
“It didn’t matter to the convicted terrorists because they dedicated themselves to a violent cause, and some were alive only because their bombs failed to detonate while strapped to them.
“Nor did it matter to die-hard gang members and individuals (on both sides) who lived off reputational violence.”
Steve says the new, terrified prisoners would be taken under the wing of the extremists and lovingly groomed before being persuaded to convert to Islam and given a new Arabic name.
An unbreakable bond
Steve was on his first day out of prison when Khan struck 11 months after being released from prison. The terrorist was killed by police officers.
Intelligence that Khan planned to carry out terrorist attacks after his release from prison was not shared with his suspended sentence, allowing him to attend the fifth anniversary of the education project.
Steve, Darryn, John Crilly and Polish porter Lukasz Koczocik, 43, who was stabbed in the hand, arm and shoulder while battling Khan, were awarded the Queen’s Medal for bravery last month.
On the day Steve left prison in August 2021, with a handful of meager belongings in his bag, civil servant Darryn was outside the prison walls waiting to collect him – and the pair formed a true bond.
Steve told The Sun: “The first time I met Darryn was when he gave me a narwhal tusk and we took down Usman.
“After that, he came to see me in prison and we built a sincere friendship.
“When I was released, Darryn was waiting for me outside the prison. He even offered me a place to stay, but probation has already taken care of that.
“We were on opposite sides of the fence, but we trusted each other that day.”
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Darryn and Steve bonded over their shared courage Credit: Submitted
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Steve was among the London Bridge heroes who received the Queen’s Medal for BraveryCredits: Delivered
Their unlikely friendship led to the creation of a venture to provide ex-offenders with housing after release, called Own Merit – a nod to Jack Merritt, who coordinated the Learning Together event at Cambridge University that fateful afternoon.
Darryn, 42, from Northampton, a communications officer for the Ministry of Justice, said: “On the day of the attack we helped each other without speaking to get through the whole experience.
“When the Ministry of Justice asked what they could do for me because I was in a small state, I asked them to ensure that the prisoners received the same help that I received. I knew she would go through the same trauma, the same PTSD.
“So I started supporting Steve after his release and we’ve been friends ever since.”
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Khan was shot dead by policemen Credit: Twitter
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Khan struck 11 months after being released from prisonCredit: AP
Changed the man
Steve, who graduated with a degree in business after his release from prison, may be a hero in the eyes of the nation, but he is well aware of the devastation he caused after he killed firefighter Barrie Jackson in 2005.
Hull Crown Court heard how Barrie, 30, was sprayed with CS gas and beaten to the ground by a group of men, including Gallant who mistakenly believed the victim had assaulted his girlfriend days earlier.
In October 2003, Jackson, a father of two, was acquitted of the attempted murder of a 64-year-old prostitute from Hull.
Steve said, “The good I’ve done can’t possibly outweigh the bad.
“If it were me and someone killed a member of my family, I would say that it is not possible.
“I was 28 years old when I went to prison and I changed a lot. My attitude has changed and sometimes I sit here and think ‘who was that person? What was on your mind? How did you end up doing it?
The good I have done cannot possibly outweigh the bad. If it were me and someone killed a family member, I would say that it is not possible
Steve Gallant
“It’s hard for me to be in a relationship with that person, almost embarrassing.”
When he was first released from prison with just £65 in his pocket, Steve admits he found it hard to adjust to his new life outside.
“It was fantastic to finally walk outside, but I’m always aware that I’m never completely free because I have a lifetime licence.”
Steve, who now works with the Howard League penal reform group, and Darryn hope Own Merit will give inmates a chance to get back on their feet once their sentences are up.
Evidence shows that offenders in stable housing are half as likely to commit a further crime.
Darryn said: “People are people whether they’ve been in prison or not.
“Steve decided to turn his life around and there are a lot of people like him in prison. Not everyone is doing as well as he is, but they want to change, and we want to help them as much as we can.”
Steve’s book The Road to London Bridge, published by Seven Dials, is out now. To donate or learn more about Own Merit, visit ownmerit.org
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Jack and Saskia lost their lives in the London Bridge attack in 2019. Credit: AFP or licensors
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Intelligence that Khan planned to carry out terrorist attacks after his release from prison was not shared with the suspended sentenceCredit: AFP
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