Manchester Arena Inquiry: PCs thanked for helping victim

The family of a woman killed in the Manchester Arena bombing have thanked two police officers for their "heroic efforts" in trying to save her.

Kelly Brewster, 32, from Sheffield, was among the 22 people who died in the attack on 22 May 2017.

The Manchester Arena Inquiry heard PC Michael Buckley and PC Danielle Ayres carried out CPR on her.

It was also told how two people tried to help Liam Curry, 19, and Chloe Rutherford, 17, from South Shields.

The inquiry has been looking at the individual circumstances of how each of the 22 people died when Salman Abedi set off a homemade device at the venue.

It was told Ms Brewster had gone to the Ariana Grande concert with her sister Claire Booth and her 12-year-old niece Hollie, who were both injured.

At the end of the show, the three of them entered the arena foyer just seven seconds before the bomb exploded.

The inquiry heard that PC Buckley, an off-duty Greater Manchester Police officer, was waiting to pick up his daughter when he heard a "loud hollow booming sound".

Even though he did not know where his daughter was, he ran into the arena foyer to help those who were injured and teamed up with PC Ayres, from British Transport Police, to assist Ms Brewster, who lay motionless on the ground.

He said she was "taking random short deep breaths" and had a very faint pulse.

He said they did "chest compressions, asking her, begging her, pleading with her to take a breath".

"She would take a gasp and start breathing again, so we'd put her back into the recovery position," he added.

The inquiry heard that another police officer brought over a defibrillator, but the kit had no pads and could not be used.

Despite the attempts to revive her, Ms Brewster stopped breathing again and North West Ambulance Service advanced paramedic Patrick Ennis told them to stop CPR, saying: "You need to let her go and help someone else."

Mr Ennis told the inquiry there was "no response that I could see and, at the time that I assessed her, there was no breathing and there were no signs of life".

He accepted that if there had not been so many other casualties in the foyer, then attempts to resuscitate Ms Brewster would have continued.

The hearing was told that PC Buckley was "angry and bitterly disappointed" with the decision to stop.

"I found that very difficult to understand... as to why, when we'd, as far as we were concerned, got her back three times, just to be told to leave her alone," he said.

"It just didn't seem right or feel right."

PC Ayres said she left the foyer "for a minute" after being told to stop helping Ms Brewster, as she was "a bit upset".

John Cooper QC said Ms Brewster's family wanted to thank PC Buckley for his "heroic efforts in assisting Kelly", adding that his actions were "commendable" given he did not know what had happened to his own daughter.

He also told PC Ayres that Ms Brewster's family "think you're a star".

"They want to thank you, you did everything you could," he said.

Ms Brewster's family said she was a "funny, intelligent, very opinionated woman who knew what she wanted and had a thirst for life".

On the morning of the bombing, Ms Brewster and her partner Ian had an offer accepted on a new home, they said, adding that she was the "happiest she had ever been".

The inquiry also heard about the final moments of couple Liam Curry, 19, and Chloe Rutherford, 17, who were from South Shields in Tyne and Wear.

Their families said they "were made for each other [and] just completely at their best when they were together".

The inquiry was told the pair walked into the arena foyer just 11 seconds before the explosion.

CCTV showed the motionless couple lying side-by-side after the explosion.

Their families thanked transport worker Philip Clegg, who checked on them, and Gareth Chapman, a member of the public who covered them with concert t-shirts.

The families said they treated "their beautiful children with the respect and dignity they so deserved".

In a statement, they added the couple "came into the world with nothing, nothing at all, but have left it with nothing but love".

"They remain with us as part of our lives always."

Paying tribute, the inquiry Chair Sir John Saunders said their relationship "was very special".

"After a short period of time together, their greatest wish was that they would never be separated [and] they weren't."

The inquiry continues.

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