Islamic State fan Ali Harbi Ali appeared in Old Bailey on Wednesday after being convicted of murder and plotting terrorist acts. Sir David was stabbed more than 20 times during a surgery meeting in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, last October. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 3:09 Ali Harbi Ali was jailed for the murder of the Tory MP Sentencing Ali, Justice Sweeney said the killing of the Southend West MP “struck the heart of our democracy”. The judge said Sir David was “a man of the greatest substance” who had “done nothing” to justify the attack on him. “His loss is of national importance,” the judge said. Read more: How the “fanatical” terrorist carried out the assassination of a member of parliament – and his “crooked” motive for the attack Judge Sweeney said the killing took place “in retaliation for the loss of Islamic State in Syria” and that Sir David “fought bravely and fiercely” against the attack. “The accused has no remorse or shame for what he has done, and vice versa,” the judge said. In a statement after the sentencing, Sir David’s family said the killing was “beyond evil” and that “they would shed tears forever for the man we lost.” Image: Sir David Member of Parliament since 1983. Photo: Amer Ghazzal / Shutterstock “Our amazing husband and father was taken away from us in a horrible and violent way,” they said. “We will overcome this tragedy. “We are heartbroken to know that our husband and father would have greeted the killer with a friendly smile and looked forward to helping. “How sick to think what happened next. It’s beyond evil.” Ali, wearing a black collarless collar on the dock, pursed his lips for a moment as the judge handed down his sentence. At trial, he said he had no regrets about the killing, saying Sir David deserved to die because he had voted in parliament in favor of airstrikes in Syria in 2014 and 2015. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:59 MP killer interview by police The killer refused to stand trial “for religious reasons” when jurors handed down their verdicts Monday after just 18 minutes of deliberation. Other high-profile assassins who have received life sentences include far-right extremist Thomas Mair, who assassinated Labor MP Jo Cox in 2016, and police officer Wayne Couzens, who raped and killed Sarah Everard in south London last year. At trial, it was reported that Sir David had been killed in a “sexless and frantic” attack that was “a murder for terrorist purposes”. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:59 ‘The man is holding a knife’ – call 999 Prosecutors described Ali as a “bloodthirsty” supporter of Islamic State who had spent years plotting to assassinate a lawmaker. The 26-year-old had researched a number of possible high-profile political targets, including Michael Gove, Dominic Raab and Sir Keir Starmer, before reaching Sir David. At the hearing of Ali’s conviction, statements about the impact of the victims were read by Mr. Gove and his fellow MP Mike Frier, who was also targeted by Ali. Mr. Gove described his experience as “incomparable” to the loss of Sir David’s family, saying: “Like everyone I knew at work, I found the impact of Sir David’s loss to be enormous.” Image: Michael Gove targeted by Ali Mr Frier said he had introduced additional security measures since learning he was Ali’s target and that his husband was worried he might be walking alone. Ali managed to arrange an appointment with Sir David by tricking the MP’s office into believing he was a health worker who had moved to the area and wanted to discuss local issues. He dropped out of college and traveled from his home in Kentish Town, north London, to the Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, where Sir David’s constituency surgery was located, holding a 12-inch knife. During a meeting with the politician, Ali said “sorry” and pulled the knife from his clothes, repeatedly stabbing Sir David, causing him to scream. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:08 “You are arrested … for murder” The so-called “lone wolf” terrorist had sent a manifesto on WhatsApp to his family and friends trying to justify his actions at the time of the attack. After Ali was confronted by an unarmed man who had arrived for a meeting with Sir David, the killer claimed that he wanted the police to shoot him and become a “witness”. Dramatic footage from a body camera showed two policemen dressed in politics who were the first to respond to the scene, armed only with batons and CS spray, to confront Ali and arrest him. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:46 CPS – Amess kill “attack on our democracy” Sir David, a 69-year-old father of five, was an MP from 1983 until his death. Following the convictions in Ali’s trial, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Sir David was a “beloved colleague, civil servant and friend” and that his thoughts were with MP Julia’s widow and the Ames family.
