Relatives’ evidence over King’s Cross bombing on July 7

John Mather and Kathryn Gilkison’s daughter Shelley died at the hands of one of the London suicide bombers, Jermaine Lindsay. They told the inquest that she had wanted to “circumnavigate the universe”.

Trying hard to hold back the tears Ms Gilkison said: “She was a kind, generous, friendly, bright and amazing young woman.

“She was a much-loved daughter, sister and friend.”

Speaking about Shelley’s future prospects she said: “That could have been anything she had wanted it to be.”

Shelley Mather had lived in London for just three years when Lindsay and three others blew themselves up on the London transport system.

The inquest has heard that Lindsay’s Piccadilly line explosion was so great that six of his victims were blown out of the carriage onto the tracks.

The Piccadilly line is much deeper underground and has narrower tunnels than the Circle line, where the other explosions took place. This meant that Lindsay’s explosion claimed more victims.

He was in the front carriage when his homemade device exploded at 8.49am, shortly after the tube train pulled out of King’s Cross station.

His attack was coordinated with three other explosions on two trains and a bus on 7 July 2005, by suicide bombers Mohammed Sidique Khan, 30, Shehzad Tanweer, 22, and Hasib Hussain, 18.

Loss and emptiness
For nearly three hours this morning in courtroom 73 at the Royal Courts of Justice we were given desperately poignant glimpses into the very different lives of the 26 people who were murdered on the underground train between King's Cross and Russell Square, writes Channel 4 News Home Affairs Correspondent Andy Davies.
Each touching portrait - read either by family members or by counsel to the inquests - laid bare the profound sense of loss and emptiness now being endured by the bereaved families.
At the start of these inquests, Hugo Keith QC spoke of the "unimaginable tidal wave" of misery which the London bombings unleashed. It was plain for all to see in Saba Mozakka's moving tribute to her mother Behnaz. She spoke of how her mother's death had taken away so many hopes and dreams for the future. "I cannot fathom the idea" Ms Mozakka told the hearing, "of having a family without my mother there to support me". Then she spoke of the questions which still tormented her family daily: "Why her? Why us? Why not a later train? Why that carriage? Did she feel pain?"
From New Zealand, the parents of Shelley Mather gave their statement jointly via video link. Side by side in a studio they sat, Shelley's mother reaching over to put a hand on the arm of Shelley's father as he broke down recalling the moment when he first saw his baby daughter in hospital: "She was a small, jaundiced creature in an incubator and, to my regret, I did not pick her up thinking she was safer where she was". It was a painfully intimate account of loss and regret from a father mourning a daughter.
The utterly indiscriminate nature of the bombings was reinforced by the remarkable roll-call of nationalities of those who died. More than half of those killed had been born outside the UK: they came from Poland, Afghanistan, Nigeria, New Zealand, Ireland, Mauritius, Grenada, Turkey, Vietnam, Iran, France, and Kenya. A snapshot of modern London framed in the most appalling circumstances.
We heard of the dreams that had brought some to find work in London. We heard also of the tragedies that had already defined the lives of others, such as Michael "Ming" Matsushita who was just five years old when his father was killed in Vietnam by a drunk soldier, and Athique Sharifi who as a teenager lost both his parents in the Afghan civil war.
Into this one packed carriage for a few brief moments these lives, so precious to so many, converged and then ended.

Emotional tributes

A biomedical officer at Great Ormond Street Hospital, Behnaz Mozakka, 47, was also a victim. Her daughter, Saba Mozakka, 29, said her death had taken the “glue” from her family. Her father Naber was forced to sell the family home.

She said: “I cannot imagine ever marrying without my mother being there to share my day.

“I cannot fathom the idea of having a family without my mother there to support me.

“There will never be a day when we do not miss her. Life in our small family will never be the same because my mother was cruelly murdered.”

Saba Mozakka, who sat on a government advisory board to create a permanent monument to the victims, held back tears as she recalled her Tehran-born mother’s life and death.

“It seems so unjust that our beautiful mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend has been taken away from us in this arbitrary manner.”

Ciaran Cassidy was a 22-year-old shop assistant in Upper Holloway, north London. His mother, Veronica, told the inquest that his large family were devastated by his death.

She said: “He had no hate in him or ego and he didn’t care for politics or war.

“He loved his family, friends and Arsenal. We miss his smiling face, his presence, his text messages asking what was for dinner.

“Ciaran was a very much-loved son, friend, grandson, nephew and cousin.

“He is greatly missed by all of us.”

‘He was so young’

Emotional tributes came too from Stacey Beer. Her brother Philip Beer, also 22, was a hairdresser from Borehamwood in Hertfordshire.

She said: “Phil was never able to fulfil his dreams and ambitions – he was so young and barely an adult when he was killed.

“There is always a dark shadow over our family – a huge part of our family is missing.” Stacey Beer recalling her brother, Philip

“Phil’s ambition was to become a well-known hairdresser and travel the world.”

Describing the family’s loss, she said: “Our lives seem quiet and empty since Phil has gone.

“There is always a dark shadow over our family – a huge part of our family is missing.

“When our family share happy occasions there is always a constant reminder that Phil’s not here.”

Committed Christian

Ernest and Elaine Adams wrote a touching tribute to their son, James, a 32-year-old mortgage broker from Peterborough, who also died that day.

Hugo Keith QC, counsel to the inquest, read out the statement. He said Mr Adams was committed Christian and active member of the church and served as a deacon for three years.

A charity he supported in southern India erected a building in his memory. His parents said: “James would have loved to be married and had a family. But after 7/7 this isn’t to be.”

‘I lost a son and daughter that day’

Samantha Badham and Lee Harris had been together for 14 years. Both were killed in the Piccadilly line bombing.

Both would usually travel to work by bicycle and car, but had arranged to meet friends after work and so went on the tube. Lynne Harris, the mother of Lee, said she had “lost a son and daughter on July 7, together with the hopes of seeing them grow old together and have children.”

Helen Jones, 28, was a former gap year student who spent her time working with prostitutes and drug addicts at Glasgow’s city mission.

She moved to Holloway after qualifying as an accountant. She was nicknamed Sherlock Jones because she was so good at sniffing out errors.

Her mother Liz Staffell told the inquest: “She loved being with people and was always determined to be involved and involving.

“One friend described her as being the best type of friend to have.

“No matter how long it had been between meeting up it was always like it was yesterday.”

She added: “Into a busy life Helen had packed more living, more loving and more giving than many of us will have in a very long life.

“Her tragic death in the London bombings has deprived the world of a unique young woman with huge potential, talent and compassion.

“She is greatly missed by all who knew her.”

‘A wonderful woman’

“A wonderful woman” was how Harry Levy described his wife Susan Levy, who was killed by Lindsay’s explosion.

He paid an emotional tribute to his 53-year-old wife and mother of his two sons. He thanked her for her devotion and love. He said she was blessed with an ability to put people at their ease.

He said she used to send an email to her son Daniel in Australia every day, something he described as a daily ritual he was robbed of on 7/7.