Sir David Amess murder trial: Everything heard on 1st day

A trial into the alleged murder of the former Southend West MP got underway yesterday - a little more than six months after the fateful incident at the Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh.

Ali Harbi Ali, 26, is accused of murdering Sir David along with preparing acts of terror. 

Ali, of Kentish Town, north London, denies both charges. 

He appeared at the Old Bailey yesterday for what was the first day of a three-week trial. 

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The prosecution outlined its case throughout the day, and claimed Ali has no defence against either charge.

Here is everything that was said in court yesterday:

Moments before Sir David's death revealed

The court heard that Ali had lied when he emailed to request an appointment with Sir David, claiming he was moving into the area.

Prosecutor Tom Little QC, told jurors that Ali appeared “relaxed and chatty” as he walked to Sir David just before “brutally” stabbing him shortly after midday.

During the meeting, the defendant’s mobile made a sound, Ali said “sorry”, then pulled out a knife and repeatedly stabbed Sir David in a “vicious and frenzied attack”, Mr Little said.

The accused was said to have waved around a bloody carving knife with a 12-inch blade and said: “I killed him, I killed him.”

He added: “I want him dead. I want every Parliament minister who signed up for the bombing of Syria, who agreed to the Iraqi war, to die.”

The defendant, who said he was self-radicalised, was then heard on the phone saying: “I’ve done it because of Syria. I’ve done it because of the innocent people. I’ve done it because of the bombing. He deserved to die.”

During a confrontation, Ali refused to drop the knife saying: “I want to be shot.”

He added: “I’m going to die. I want to die, I want to be a hero.”

Tense stand-off with police

Mr Little said two plainclothes officers, Pc Scott James and Pc Ryan Curtis, arrived on the scene armed only with a baton and incapacitant spray, and “bravely decided” to enter the building after hearing of Sir David’s injuries.

A section of bodyworn camera footage showed the police officers in a short, tense confrontation with the armed Ali.

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One of the officers could be heard yelling: “Drop that knife.”

Ali, seen in the aisle of the church, was then told: “It’s only going to go one way, please drop that knife.”

The officers then managed to pin Ali to the floor and arrested him.

Years of planning

Ali is also accused of carrying out reconnaissance over several years on targets including Communities and Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Mr Little said the attack was “no spur-of-the-moment decision”, and said Ali had bought the knife used to attack Sir David five years earlier.

The prosecutor said: “He had for a number of years been determined to carry out an act of domestic terrorism.

Court sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Ali Harbi Ali

“To that end, from at least May 2019 he researched and planned potential attacks on members of Parliament and the Houses of Parliament.”

Ali went to Westminster for reconnaissance seven times but found police there were “armed to the teeth”, jurors were told.

Mr Little said: “Being blunt about it, he’s not a tourist… looking at Big Ben and taking some photographs. This is terrorist planning.”

'No defence'

Mr Little told jurors: “This is a case involving a cold and calculated murder, a murder carried out in a place of worship.

“A murder carried out because of a warped and twisted and violent ideology.

“It was a murder carried out by that young man (Ali) who for many years had been planning just such an attack and who was, and is, a committed, fanatical, radicalised Islamist terrorist.

“This was nothing less than an assassination for terrorist purposes.

“It is a crime to which, we say, he has no defence.”

• The trial continues