Man charged with murder of Sir David Amess MP – killing believed to have ‘religious motivation’
A 25-year-old man has been charged with the murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess.
Ali Harbi Ali has also been charged with the preparation of terrorist acts after the MP died from “serious injuries” at the Essex church he was holding a routine constituency surgery at last Friday, Met Police assistant commissioner for special operations Matt Jukes said.
Ali, from north London, remains in custody and will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court this afternoon to face the charges.
David Amess was fatally stabbed last week
Nick Price, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “We will submit to the court that this murder has a terrorist connection, namely that it had both religious and ideological motivations.
“He has also been charged with the preparation of terrorist acts. This follows a review of the evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police in its investigation.”
No other arrests have been made during the extensive investigation that has seen a large team of detectives working “around the clock”, Mr Jukes said.
He added that a number of London addresses have been searched, digital devices scoured and a “painstaking” review of CCTV footage has taken place.
Counter-terror police are not seeking anybody else in connection with Sir David’s murder.
Mr Jukes thanked witnesses and members of the public for their help during the investigation and said if anybody has any information, no matter how small, they should contact counter-terror police as “every piece of information is important”.
He added: “I understand the huge level of public interest in this case, but now a charge has been brought, it is vitally important that everyone exercises restraint when commenting on it publicly, to ensure future court proceedings are not prejudiced in any way.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Police announce charges
He said the Met Police have been working closely with parliament’s security team and the Home Office to review security for MPs in the wake of the stabbing and police forces across the country have been working with their local MPs on specific arrangements.
Sir David, who represented Southend West in Essex, was stabbed to death last Friday as he was meeting his constituents at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea.
The 69-year-old had been MP for Southend West for 38 years and first entered parliament in 1983, and leaves behind his wife Julia and their five children.
Flowers and tributes at the scene near Belfairs Methodist Church in Eastwood Road North, Leigh-on-Sea
Prime Minister Boris Johnson described Sir David as “one of the kindest, nicest, most gentle people in politics” and paid tribute to his “outstanding” campaigning work on endometriosis, animal cruelty and fuel poverty.
“David was a man who believed passionately in this country and its future,” Mr Johnson said. “We’ve lost today a fine public servant and a much-loved friend and colleague.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer described a “dark and shocking day” as he urged people to “come together in response to these horrendous events”.
Sir David sat on a number of Commons committees during his time in Westminster and also sponsored many parliamentary bills – many focused on his keen interest in animal welfare and his ambition to eliminate fuel poverty.
From a humble background, he was raised a Catholic in London’s East End.
Two pro-Palestinian demonstrators have thrown red powder on Tower Bridge – just moments before leading runners in the London Marathon went past.
The protesters were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and remain in custody, said the Metropolitan Police.
A video shared by Youth Demand, which is calling for a trade embargo on Israel, shows two people jumping over a barrier that separates spectators from the race course.
The pair, wearing t-shirts that say “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel”, are then seen standing in the middle of the road on the bridge.
Pic: LNP
They throw red powder in the air as an official marathon car goes past displaying the race time.
A motorbike with a cameraman on board continues along the route, while a second motorbike stops and one of the riders gets off and pushes the pair out of the way, just before the men’s elite runners pass.
Several police officers then jump over the barrier and detain the pair, the footage shows.
There appeared to be no impact on the marathon.
More than 56,000 participants were expected to take part in the 26.2-mile race through the capital.
Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the men’s elite race in a time of two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women’s-only world record in two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.
Assefa beat the previous best of two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds set last year in London by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.
Read more:
Sky’s Beth Rigby running marathon in honour of ‘dearest friend’
Badenoch does not rule out local coalitions with Reform
Pic: LNP
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “At around 10.38am, two protesters from Youth Demand jumped over barriers at Tower Bridge and threw red paint on to the road.
“Marathon event staff intervened to remove the protesters from the path of the men’s elite race which was able to pass unobstructed.”
The force added that they were “quickly supported by police officers who arrested the protesters on suspicion of causing a public nuisance”.
The Met said the paint “appeared to be chalk-based” and was not expected to “present a hazard to runners yet to pass this point”.
Counter-terrorism police are investigating after an incident involving a crossbow and a firearm left two women injured in Leeds.
Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.
Officers arrived at the scene to find two women injured – and a 38-year-old man with a self-inflicted injury. All three were taken to hospital, with the man held under arrest, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
“Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm,” Counter Terrorism Policing North East said in a statement.
The incident happened on the ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl, with one venue saying it was closed for the evening due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Officers guard one of the crime scenes
Officers inside the cordon in Leeds
Counter Terrorism Policing’s statement added: “Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of West Yorkshire Police.
“Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as a “serious violent incident” and said she was being kept updated by police.
“Thank you to the police and emergency services for their swift response,” she said. “My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this attack.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway