THE KNIFEMAN who rampaged through Reading's Forbury Gardens killing three people has launched an appeal against his sentence.

Khairi Saadallah was locked behind bars in January after he stabbed friends James Furlong, 36, David Wails, 49, and Joseph Ritchie-Bennett, 39, on June 20 last year.

Three other people – Stephen Young, 51, Patrick Edwards, 29, and Nishit Nisudan, 34, – were also injured in the horrific attack before Saadallah threw away the eight-inch knife and ran off, pursued by an off-duty police officer.

READ MORE: Knife amnesty bins installed in Reading - mapped

The failed Libyan asylum seeker had launched the attacks in the town centre park as the victims were enjoying a summer evening after the first lockdown restrictions in England were relaxed.

Saadallah, of Basingstoke Road, Reading, pleaded guilty to three murders and three attempted murders.

The judge, Mr Justice Sweeney sentenced him at the Old Bailey to a whole-life order.

However, the terror attacker now has launched an appeal against his conviction with a hearing due at London's Court of Appeal on Thursday, October 14.

At the time of his sentencing, Mr Justice Sweeney said: "His attack on them was so swift, ruthless and brutal that none of them had any chance to react, let alone to defend themselves.

"Using his combat experience in each of their cases the defendant targeted a vulnerable area where a single thrust of the knife would, as he intended, inevitably cause death."

ALSO READ: The areas of Reading where coronavirus cases are on the rise

The judge said the defendant had done substantial planning.

He added: "During the course of the attack and afterwards and because he was seeking to advance a political, religious or ideological cause, the defendant was shouting in Arabic, 'God is the greatest' and 'God accept my jihad'."

He rejected the argument that Saadallah was suffering a mental illness at the time of the killings.

Since arriving in Britain in 2012, Saadallah had been convicted of various offences including theft and assault.

During his time at HMP Bullingdon, he sought out the company of prominent radical preacher Omar Brooks, who is associated with the banned terrorist organisation Al-Muhajiroun.

Saadallah was released from HMP Bullingdon on June 5 last year.

He set about researching the location for his attack, carrying out reconnaissance, and bought a knife at a Morrisons supermarket.

Saadallah had contact with his probation officer and was visited by police on June 19 over concern for his mental state.

However, a psychiatrist had since concluded that the events of June 20 were "unrelated to the effects of either mental disorder or substance misuse".