FAMILIES of the innocent victims of the July 7 terror attacks spoke of their anguish at hearing details again of how their loved ones died.
Some 70 relatives of the 52 victims took their seats in court to hear the coroner's final remarks, representing more than 25 families.
Rosemary Mayes, whose son James, 28, was killed at King’s Cross, said the short hearing had not been what she was expecting and she had been moved once again by descriptions of how the 52 people died.
“When the coroner read the names out, it’s always awful,” she said.
Mrs Mayes, 67, of Stevenage, added: “We are sort of hoping that James’s name is not read out, that it was not on the list, and that perhaps he is living the life of Riley somewhere.
“Of course, that’s never the case. It was very difficult and every time the list is read out the reality that he is dead hits us.”
Survivor Tim Coulson, who joined bereaved families in court, said the hearing was a “harrowing experience'”.
The retired teacher, 56, from Henley, Oxfordshire, had been called to give evidence in November when he spoke of how victim Michael Brewster, 52, died in his arms.
Yesterday he met Mr Brewster’s wife Sandra for the first time.
“It was traumatic,” he said. “It was extremely emotional, as you would expect.
“But we were also mutually supportive of each other.
“Although our experiences are different, we have a common link and that was the experience of July 7.”
Describing the day he gave evidence as the “second worst day of my life”.
He said the hearing left him “not unhappy” and he was “pleased” with the way the inquests had been conducted.
But he hit out at MI5 and the question of preventability, saying: “I still believe it was preventable.
“Two of the bombers were known to the security services years beforehand and, as close as 2004, were on their radar.
“If they had, based on evidence that was in their possession at the time, made the decision to remove (Mohammed Siddique Khan) from the public and bring him in for questioning, it would never have happened.”
