The Government has applied to block some MI5 information relating to the fatal Manchester synagogue attack from being heard in public, a court has heard.
A pre-inquest hearing at Manchester Coroner’s Court was told the Home Office wanted the information to be withheld when the inquests into the deaths of Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, are held next year.
Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, a Syrian-born British citizen, drove into the gates of the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester on 2 October last year.
He then began attacking with a knife, while wearing a fake suicide belt.
Cravitz died from multiple knife wounds while Daulby was killed by a bullet fired by armed police scrambled to the scene. He was hit as he blocked the synagogue doors to stop Al-Shamie getting in.
The hearing earlier was told by Neil Sheldon KC, representing the Home Office, that making public the information held by MI5 would put national security at risk.
He said: “The Secretary of State asserts that disclosure would harm national security.”
But lawyers for the families of the victims said the Government’s attempt to withhold the information, through a Public Interest Immunity application, was in “contradiction” to statements made after the attack.
The family lawyers cited statements made by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and counter-terror police bosses that terrorist Al-Shamie was not on their radar and unknown to them.
Victoria Ailes, representing the Cravitz family, told Judge Alexia Durran, Chief Coroner of England and Wales: “We would respectfully suggest the interest in open justice is heightened.”
Anna Morris KC, representing the Daulby family, said there had been a “demonstrable lack of candour” by the security services in “other proceedings”.
She said the Daulby family were also concerned that this application and information might contradict statements made publicly that the terrorist was not known to counter terror policing or the security services.
The Daulby family expected a “rigorous investigation” into his death and the family had concerns about any delay in proceedings and “procedural rights”, she added.