The mother of Australian nanny Sara Zelenak has attended an inquest that detailed how her daughter was killed by terrorists in London.
Coroner Andrew Harris opened and adjourned inquests into the deaths of five victims, just a few hundred metres from where the attack took place.
“All of our thoughts and condolences are with you at this terrible time, one of the most horrible things is for parents to be in court hearing the details of a death, particularly a violent one, of their children,” he told the assembled crowd.
Julie Wallace, mother of the 21-year-old nanny, attended the inquest with her husband Mark and nodded in silence to confirm the spelling of her daughter’s name.
Ms Wallace flew to England from Australia when she couldn’t get hold of her daughter in the aftermath of the rampage.
She sat in court while the hearing was told Ms Zelenak was stabbed in the neck in Borough Market.
“The provisional cause of death was the stab wound to the neck. Identification was done by dental records and DNA,” Investigating police officer DCI Simon Moring told the hearing.
The hearing also heard how the other Australian killed in the attacks, Kirsty Boden, 28, died after running towards the rampage to save people.
She was found in the shadow of Southwark Cathedral, on Montague Close, with a stab wound to her chest, and was later identified by DNA and dental records.
Ms Wallace previously spoke of how close her daughter had been to the recent terror attacks in London.
Ms Zelenak had tickets to the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, but had decided not to go.
“The one with the policeman being stabbed three months ago, she was there the day before in the exact spot,” Ms Wallace said.
“Everything she has just missed.”
On June 3rd, Ms Zelenak was meant to be working, but a last-minute change of plans saw her meeting up with a friend instead.
“She’s a very smart, sensible girl, she is healthy, fit, trim, taut, terrific – she doesn’t do anything wrong in any way,” Ms Wallace said of her daughter.
“She’s very sensible, far more sensible than I was at her age.”
Borough Markets will observe a minute’s silence for the victims of June 3rd when it reopens for business on Wednesday.
