Earlier this morning news headlines of the Woolwich attack on a soldier in London were everywhere. Two Islamic extremists reportedly beheaded a soldier using machetes and meat cleavers. Reports have surfaced that a mother talked down the terrorists who were planning “to start a war in London tonight.” Ingrid Loyau-Kennet, a mother of two and a cub scout leader from Cornwall, attempted to persuade the terrorists to give their weapons over to her. Not only did Loyau-Kennet face the terrorists, but she also shielded the body from any further mutilation.
Loyau-Kennet was one of the first people on the scene after she jumped off a bus that was passing the incident. The murderers were waiting for the police to arrive to have a final stand off. She checked the soldiers pulse as she is trained in first aid. Loyau-Kennet recalls the unfolding of her stand off against the terrorists.
Being a cub leader I have my first aid so when I saw this guy on the floor I thought it was an accident then I saw the guy was dead and I could not feel any pulse.
And then when I went up there was this black guy with a revolver and a kitchen knife, he had what looked like butcher’s tools and he had a little axe, to cut the bones, and two large knives and he said ‘move off the body’.
So I thought ‘OK, I don’t know what is going on here’ and he was covered with blood. I thought I had better start talking to him before he starts attacking somebody else. I thought these people usually have a message so I said ‘what do you want?
I asked him if he did it and he said yes and I said why? And he said because he has killed Muslim people in Muslim countries, he said he was a British soldier and I said really and he said ‘I killed him because he killed Muslims and I am fed up with people killing Muslims in Afghanistan they have nothing to do there.
I started to talk to him and I started to notice more weapons and the guy behind him with more weapons as well. By then, people had started to gather around. So I thought OK, I should keep him talking to me before he noticed everything around him.
He was not high, he was not on drugs, he was not an alcoholic or drunk, he was just distressed, upset. He was in full control of his decisions and ready to everything he wanted to do. I said ‘right now it is only you versus many people, you are going to lose, what would you like to do?’ and he said I would like to stay and fight.
Ingrid Loyau-Kennet talking to one of the terrorists
This is one courageous woman, to stand in the face of danger and try to talk it down while waiting for law enforcement to arrive – some 20 minutes later. Patrick Mercer MP shared the same sentiments.
This is courage of the highest order, it sounds as if these members of the public are not soldiers, not policemen, not people whose duties demand this, they are extremely courageous people and that courage deserves to be recognised at the highest level.
[Source: The Telegraph]
