London Bridge stabbing: First victim identified as Jack Merritt

Jack Merritt was remembered by his father as “a beautiful spirit who always took the side of the underdog.”

The brilliant and handsome 25-year-old ran a law course inside a jailhouse as part of his work with a program that helped ex-cons rebuild their lives.

One of those ex-cons, Usman Khan, 28, stabbed Merritt to death Friday, authorities said, at an event that very rehab program held for the killer and others like him.

British rapper David Orobosa Omoregie, known as “Dave,” tweeted: “Rest in peace brother. One of the most painful things. Jack Merritt was the best guy. Dedicated his life to helping others, was genuinely an honour to have met someone like you and everything you’ve done for us. I’ll never ever forget.”

Dave’s Mercury Prize-winning album was inspired by rehabilitation therapy his brother, Christopher Omoregie, has received as he serves a life sentence for murder.

Merritt was the course coordinator for Learning Together, a program run by Cambridge University’s Institute of Criminology. Program participants were celebrating its fifth anniversary with a conference at Fishmongers’ Hall near the London Bridge.

Khan, who was gunned down after the terror attack by police, started his rampage during a session on storytelling and creative writing.

Also killed was a woman who had been at the conference.

Two women and a man were being treated at the Royal Hospital of London. One of the women, who is in her 20s, had “slash wounds on her arms and stomach,” a hospital worker told The Sun. The other woman was initially listed in critical condition but was upgraded to stable condition Saturday. The man was in a medically induced coma.

As debate raged over Khan being paroled after serving only half of his 16-year sentence for plotting to blow up Westminster Abbey and other landmarks, David Merritt said his son would have supported the prisoners, tweeting he “would not wish his death to be used as the pretext for more draconian sentences or for detaining people unnecessarily.”