Sir David Amess Stabbed in ‘Terrorist Assassination’
Sir David Amess, MP for Southend West, was brutally stabbed during a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on 15 October. Ali Harbi Ali, 26, from London, repeatedly attacked the MP in what prosecutors call an “assassination for terrorist purposes.”
Ali denies murder and preparing acts of terrorism, but the jury at the Old Bailey heard chilling details of the attack and the radicalised Islamist ideology behind it.
‘Radicalised Islamist Terrorist’ Planned Attack for Years
Prosecutor Tom Little QC told the court Ali was driven by a “warped, twisted and violent ideology” with a determination to carry out domestic terrorism for years. Moments before the stabbing, Ali’s phone sounded and he muttered “sorry” before launching a frenzied attack that left Sir David with 21 stab wounds across his face, arms, legs, and torso.
Witnesses heard Ali shout “I killed him, I killed him” while waving a bloody knife and calling for the deaths of MPs who supported airstrikes in Syria and the Iraq war. He also said, “I want to die; I want to be a hero.”
Carefully Planned Hit on Parliamentarians
Ali tricked Sir David into a meeting by pretending to be moving to the area, supplying a fake postcode. Evidence revealed Ali researched a list of 523 MPs who voted for Syria airstrikes and made six visits to Michael Gove’s home in west London as part of reconnaissance. His phone data placed him near Parliament multiple times — “not as a tourist,” said Mr Little, “but for terrorist planning.”
Brave Police Confront Attack Without Firearms
Despite Ali hoping to be shot and become a martyr, he was initially confronted by two plain-clothes Essex Police officers armed only with a baton and incapacitant spray. Their quick courage helped prevent further bloodshed.
Ali, from Kentish Town, appeared in court in black robe and glasses. The prosecution made clear his mental health is not part of his defence. The trial continues next week.
