Spaniard Ignacio Echeverria, 39, was stabbed to death as he ‘courageously’ tried to fight off the terrorist attackers with his skateboard, an inquest heard.
He had been in the UK for over a year at the time of his death and was working as a financial crime analyst at HSBC.
His family did not attend court and were not represented but Jonathan Hough QC, counsel for the inquest, read out a statement on their behalf.
“The day he died he had spent the day skateboarding with friends in London, moving from different skateboarding hot spots with a group of friends,” it said.
“He had planned to go for dinner at his sister’s place but decided to delay his visit to later in the evening because he was really having a good time.
“Ignacio and two other friends had rented bikes to go for dinner – some minutes later they crossed the terrorists who killed him.”
The inquest heard Mr Echeverria joined unarmed PC Wayne Marques and an off-duty PC Charlie Guenigault in fighting off the three attackers as they set upon Marie Bondeville, hitting at least one terrorist with his skateboard.
“His courageous efforts were to seek to stop the attack,” Chief Coroner Mark Lucraft said.
“In the course of doing what he did, he was fatally stabbed outside the Lobos restaurant.”
The inquest heard Mr Echeverria was the youngest of five siblings and was a Catholic who went to Mass every week.
He could speak English, German and French fluently.
His family said: “For all his life he also enjoyed the company of his family, not only his parents and siblings but also cousins, uncles and aunts.
“Even if sometimes the relationships with his siblings were troubled he always loved them, being close to them and choosing to spend a major part of his spare time with his family.
“He enjoyed being close to his nephews and nieces and was a real playmate to them – Ignacio would play as a child with them, making him very special for them all.”
