Streatham attack: Sudesh Amman's victim feared he would bleed to death

A man stabbed by a terrorist on a south London street feared he would bleed to death, an inquest has heard.

The man overheard the phrase "he's not going to make it" in an ambulance after being stabbed by Sudesh Amman, 20, on Streatham High Road on 2 February 2020.

Armed police shot Amman dead before two passers-by helped the victim, the Royal Courts of Justice heard.

"They cut off my clothes, they saved my life. I will never forget," he said in a police statement read out in court.

Another victim, a woman who was pushing a bike, also survived being stabbed. In a highly unusual move, neither of their names were mentioned during the hearing.

Sudesh Amman was jailed for 40 months in 2018 for preparing and engaging in acts of terrorism

The man told police he did not realise at first that he had been stabbed.

The inquest heard he walked three or four metres before falling over, at which point two passers-by, Katherine Day and Thomas Baldwin, performed first aid.

He said: "They cut off my clothes, they saved my life. I will never forget.

"The woman was crying, saying: 'Please don't go. Where's the ambulance?'

"It really hurt when they put me on the ambulance bed. I heard someone say: 'We can't drive, he's not going to make it.'"

He added: "Thank God for the doctors, or I would be dead."

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On Wednesday, the inquest heard that a nine-man surveillance team had been following Amman after his release from prison, 10 days before the stabbings.

One officer told the inquest how he feared for his life after witnessing Amman "plunge" a knife into the upper back of a woman wearing a bright pink jacket.

Amman grabbed a 20cm kitchen knife from the Low Price Store

In her statement, read out to the jury, the victim said she suddenly felt pain in her right shoulder.

She told police: "I took about four steps forward when I heard people shout: 'She's been stabbed.'

"I thought if I had been stabbed, why were people walking past me? I doubted myself.

"Due to the pain I dropped my bike on to the floor."

She suffered a small wound to her back and was discharged from hospital later that day.

Amman was placed in a bail hostel in Streatham after his release from prison

The inquest previously heard there had been concerns about Amman's imminent release from HMP Belmarsh on 23 January 2020, part-way through a 40-month sentence for preparing and engaging in acts of terrorism.

However, the request was turned down by the governor because the offence Amman was jailed for did not justify him serving further time in prison.

Jurors have also heard that Amman was spotted buying items later used to fashion a fake suicide belt but the Probation Service was "satisfied" that in making the purchases he had not breached any licence conditions.

The inquest has been adjourned until Friday.