Sir Grant Shapps has described how his father-in-law was positioned “next to” Adrian Daulby, who died during Thursday’s terror attack in Manchester.
Mr Daulby is believed to have been shot dead by police while trying to stop the Manchester synagogue terrorist from entering the building.
The former defence minister Sir Grant described how his father-in-law, Michael Goldstone, was “part of the crew” barricading the doors to prevent Jihad Al-Shamie from entering the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on Thursday.
“They’d locked them, but this maniac was still trying to get in,” Sir Grant told Sky News.
“He had a 7in knife, he was stabbing it against the window, trying to break it.
“He was trying to kick down the doors and eventually he goes and picks up flower pots which were out front and is trying to break the glass using those.
“All the time behind the door, my father-in-law, the rabbi and others were all trying to organise themselves to make sure that each of the doors was held closed.
“Very, very tragically, the gentleman that they helped to position on the door next to where my father-in-law was was the one who died from that stray bullet intended for this terrorist that unfortunately came through the door, hit somebody in the leg, and then actually someone on their body.
“He went straight down. My father-in-law describes him as immediately knowing that, unfortunately, he wasn’t going to make it.”
Mr Daulby, 53, has been described as a “hero” by his family.
Melvin Cravitz, 66, from Crumpsall, also died during the attack.
Meanwhile, Sir Grant described protests in support of banned Palestine Action as “insensitive” in the aftermath of the attack.
Asked about plans to give police greater powers to restrict protests, he told Sky News: “We always have to balance civil liberties, of course.
“The trouble is, if you allow these things to go completely unfettered that some people start to think that kind of very extreme behaviour might be acceptable – and we’ve seen them, I’m afraid, on too many of those marches: people breaking the law, being arrested, climbing monuments, abusing the police.
“I think there does have to be a line drawn at some place. Of course, freedom of speech is something we cherish hugely in this country.”
He added: “How bloody insensitive was it for those people to go out the very next day and go and join those protests?
“I mean, have some humanity, is what I’d say.
“If it requires some adjustments to the law, then I think the Government on this case would have my full support.”
