Man found guilty of murdering David Amess

A 26-year-old man has been convicted at the Old Bailey of the terrorist assassination of the Conservative MP Sir David Amess in October last year.

Ali Harbi Ali stabbed Amess to death at a church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, as the MP held an advice surgery for those from his Southend West constituency. Ali was arrested at the scene having posed as a constituent to gain an appointment.

The hearing into an attack has heard that Ali was being radicalised in 2014 at the same time he was going through Prevent, the official UK anti-radicalisation scheme.

The jury convicted Ali of the murder of Amess and planning other attacks against MPs after 20 minutes of deliberation.

Ali had planned an attack for two years, since May 2019, supposedly angered by western actions in Syria. He had carried out reconnaissance on other MPs, even scouting the home of Michael Gove. It has later been revealed that he loitered around the Houses of Parliament on several occasions looking for a chance to strike.

Ali will be sentenced at a later date and the crown may ask the court to impose a whole-life tariff, meaning he will never be released.