Khalid Masood, who killed four people outside Britain’s Parliament, taught English in Saudi Arabia from November 2005 to November 2006 and again from April 2008 to April 2009, a statement from that country's embassy, released late Friday, said.
The embassy said he had a work visa. He returned for six days in March 2015 on a trip booked through an approved travel agent.
No criminal record in Saudi Arabia
He was not tracked by the country’s security services and didn’t have a criminal record there, it said.
Before taking the name Masood, he was known as Adrian Elms. He was known for having a violent temper and was convicted at least twice for violent crimes in England.
Masood drove his rented SUV across the crowded Westminster Bridge on Wednesday, striking pedestrians. Then he jumped out and attacked police officer Keith Palmer, who was guarding Parliament, fatally stabbing him before being shot dead by police.
In all, he killed four people and left more than two dozen hospitalised, including some with what have been described as catastrophic injuries. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
First arrest in 1983
Masood, who at 52 is considerably older than most extremists who carry out bloodshed in the West, had an arrest record dating to 1983. The violence came later, first in 2000 when he slashed a man across the face in a pub parking lot in a racially charged argument after drinking four pints, according to a newspaper account.
Details about how he became radicalised aren’t clear. His time in Saudi Arabia may provide clues. He was also jailed in Britain and may have become exposed to radical views while being an inmate.
Masood’s last conviction was in 2003, also involving a knife attack. It’s not clear when he took the name Masood, suggesting a conversion to Islam.
