London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

Sir David Amess: Man found guilty of murdering MP

An IS fanatic has been found guilty of murdering Sir David Amess MP. The Southend West MP was stabbed more than 20 times during a constituency surgery in October 2021.
The Southend West MP was stabbed more than 20 times during a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex on 15 October 2021.

A jury at the Old Bailey took just 18 minutes to convict Ali Harbi Ali of murder and preparing acts of terrorism.

The 26-year-old from Kentish Town, north London, had denied the charges and claimed he targeted the MP over his vote for airstrikes on Syria.

Sir David's family sat in court just a short distance from Ali as the verdicts were delivered.

The judge, Mr Justice Sweeney, said Ali, who refused to stand up in the dock on "religious grounds", will be sentenced on Wednesday.

Before being sent out, the judge told the jury the defendant had no legal defence for killing the Conservative MP.

Following the verdicts, Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted that Sir David was "a beloved colleague, public servant and friend", adding that his thoughts were with his family.

Ali stabbed Sir David, 69, after tricking his way into a meeting by pretending to be an NHS employee moving to the area.

During the trial, jurors heard how he had also scoped out and planned attacks on other MPs, including cabinet minister Michael Gove who he believed was "a harm to Muslims".

He drew up plans to get close to the Levelling Up Secretary which he abandoned after he split from his wife and left the family home, the jury heard.

The court heard the defendant was still determined to carry out an attack and scouted the office of Finchley MP Mike Freer and carried out online research on other MPs, including Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

He chose Sir David after a search on Twitter showed he was due to hold a constituency surgery.

The trial heard Ali was a "model student" but had become self-radicalised in 2014, dropping out of university and abandoning ambitions of a medical career.

He was referred to the government's Prevent strategy to counter radicalisation, but continued plotting in secret.

In evidence, Ali told the court he wanted to travel to Syria to join the self-styled Islamic State but it was too "difficult" so he decided to "help Muslims here" instead.

He said he had no regrets or shame about killing Sir David, telling the court: "If I thought I did anything wrong, I wouldn't have done it".

Ali said: "I felt like one minute I was sat down at the table talking to him and the next he was, sort of, dead.

"But, yeah, it's probably one of the strangest days... of my life now, you know?"

The court heard the defendant had planned to die as a "martyr", assuming he would be shot by police.

After the stabbing, witnesses described how he waved the knife around and threatened Sir David's staff and members of the public.

He was detained by two plain-clothed officers from Essex Police, the first on the scene, who were armed only with batons and incapacitant spray.

In video shown to the jury, officers were heard shouting "drop the knife" while the defendant was on the phone to his sister.

He told jurors he dropped the weapon when he realised the officers - PC Ryan Curtis and PC Scott James - were unarmed.

Both officers have received Essex Police's highest accolade, the Merit Star, for their bravery.

Recalling when they arrived at the scene, PC James said: "We couldn't stand outside if there was a chance other people were getting attacked, and we also wanted to get paramedics inside the building as soon as possible.

"Our biggest fear that day was that there were other defenceless people inside with Sir David waiting for the police to come through the door - so any fears we had were put to one side."

Det Ch Supt Dominic Murphy, head of operations for the Met Police's Counter Terrorism Command, said: "Sir David's family have been left utterly devastated, but they have shown remarkable courage and dignity throughout the investigation and this trial.

"Following the murder, our officers worked extremely hard and at pace to firstly ensure there was no existing threat linked to the attacker, and then to put together a compelling package of evidence which showed his extremist mind-set, and the lengths he went to in order to plan and commit the attack."

Sir David was killed five years after Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox was murdered in her constituency.

Her widower Brendan Cox said on Twitter: "The terrorist will rot in jail and die in ignominy. David's name will be remembered, especially by the people of Southend who he served."

Jo Cox's sister Kim Leadbeater, the current MP for Batley and Spen, told the BBC there were "two things that really need to be looked at", including ensuring the country had a "free and open society and democracy" and "also how we make sure people elected to public office feel safe to do their jobs".
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×