London Bridge attack: Woman speaks of ex-partner's killer 'hero' label

Vicky Foster shared video of her ex-partner's killer attacking the London Bridge terrorist without realising who he was

A woman has spoken about how it felt to see her ex-partner's killer hailed a hero after he helped thwart the London Bridge terror attack.

Steven Gallant, 42, was jailed for 17 years in 2005 for the murder of ex-firefighter Barrie Jackson in Hull.

He was granted a Royal Pardon after he tackled Usman Khan with a narwhal tusk in 2019 while on day release.

Vicky Foster said she had initially shared video of Gallant's actions before realising who he was.

Gallant was attending a prisoner rehabilitation event when he confronted Khan after the 28-year-old began stabbing people.

Jack Merritt, right, who died in the London Bridge attack, worked with Steve Gallant, left, on the Learning Together rehabilitation course

Ms Foster, who lives in Hull and is the mother of Mr Jackson's two children, said: "It was exactly what you think you want a hero to look like.

"He was running down London Bridge with a narwhal tusk... it was like something out of a fairytale almost."

She added: "At that point I didn't know who it was I was looking at."

Gallant had been attending ther rehabilitation project event at Fishmongers' Hall, London, when he stopped Khan's rampage

Ms Foster said seeing the subsequent press coverage praising Gallant's actions had re-triggered her post-traumatic stress from the murder.

"The effect on me and my family was really devastating.

"It re-triggered old trauma... There were flashbacks, nightmares, that lasted months."

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Ms Foster now features in a BBC Radio 4 documentary, examining the way society creates heroes.

"People aren't clear cut and obviously Steven Gallant has done a really good thing last November. He did a really terrible thing back in 2005 that we're still suffering the effects of."

"I think that's one of the things I wanted to talk about.

"If you start labelling people as heroes then you kind of put them into a category where they feel almost untouchable and it feels like you aren't allowed to say anything bad happened and that's one of the things I struggled with."

The programme, Can I Talk About Heroes, is on Radio 4 on 22 December at 20:00 GMT.

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