{"id":141986,"date":"2021-10-16T21:38:31","date_gmt":"2021-10-16T21:38:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/?p=141986"},"modified":"2021-10-16T21:38:31","modified_gmt":"2021-10-16T21:38:31","slug":"sir-david-amess-killer-was-on-terror-alert-list-and-had-extremist-material-on-phone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/world-news\/sir-david-amess-killer-was-on-terror-alert-list-and-had-extremist-material-on-phone\/","title":{"rendered":"Sir David Amess killer was on terror alert list and had extremist material on phone"},"content":{"rendered":"

THE killer of MP Sir David Amess was previously referred to a \u00adGovernment anti-terror scheme.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cops discovered Islamist material on his phone after the stabbing in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. Witnesses said he appeared \u201cdead behind the eyes\u201d. <\/p>\n


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The man being held was last night named as Ali Harbi Ali.<\/p>\n

The killer of MP Sir David Amess travelled 50 miles by train to murder him.<\/p>\n

Counter-terror cops believe he boarded a service in London to carry out the lone wolf attack.<\/p>\n

He is believed to have waived his right to silence on arrest and is said to have admitted fatally stabbing dad-of-five Sir David 17 times at his constituency surgery at a church hall in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.<\/p>\n

The suspect had not been on MI5\u2019s \u201csubject of interest\u201d list. But he had been referred to the early stages of the Government Prevent anti-terror scheme.<\/p>\n

Cops and security services are examining the theory he was \u00adradicalised online during lockdown. And they believe the suspect may have been inspired by al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda offshoot operating in Somalia and Kenya.<\/p>\n

He had Islamist material on his phone and may have targeted Tory Sir David, 69, because he was a symbol of the British Government. The attack was also linked to a jihadist ideology because of statements the suspect reportedly made to arresting officers.<\/p>\n

Yesterday he was being held at a police station in London. Officers can quiz him until October 22. Sources said he lives in North London but had family ties to Southend, close to Leigh-on-Sea. Two addresses in the capital were being searched.<\/p>\n

'Savage attack'<\/h2>\n

Cops are said to be trying to establish a motive so they can charge him under the Terrorism Act \u2014 rather than just murder \u2014 leading to the prospect of a whole life sentence if convicted.<\/p>\n

Late last night the man being held by police was named as Ali Harbi Ali, 25. His dad is believed to be a senior civil servant in the Somali government. He is thought to have been born in the UK after his family fled the war-torn East African nation in the 1990s.<\/p>\n

An emergency worker called to Friday\u2019s murder scene told how the killer was \u201cdead behind the eyes\u201d. She said: \u201cWhat I saw was horrific. We knew immediately that David was dead. There was no way anyone was surviving that. It was such a savage attack. People were breaking down in tears because there was nothing anyone could do for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe attacker was already in handcuffs and was sitting on the floor. He was completely dead behind the eyes, staring blankly. And he didn\u2019t say anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

A separate witness said the attacker had not made a booking to see Sir David but was ushered in by his assistant after waiting in a side room. The source added: \u201cIt was ad-hoc and David agreed to see him. That\u2019s the sort of man he was. He would take bookings from people who just turned up. This person was in the room with his assistant and she saw everything. <\/p>\n

\u201cHis calmness sitting by the body was unnerving.\u201d<\/p>\n

The attacker was already in handcuffs and was sitting on the floor. He was completely dead behind the eyes, staring blankly. And he didn\u2019t say anything.<\/p>\n

Tory councillor Dan Nelson said: \u201cThe attacker had been waiting 40 minutes and was not pre-booked.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is understood the man was checked in by Sir David\u2019s assistant Julie Cushion who was too upset to comment at her home in the town.<\/p>\n

Another assistant Rebecca Hayton, 23, is also said to have witnessed the horror. Her dad Barry said: \u201cShe\u2019s very upset and can\u2019t speak. She\u2019s been interviewed by the police.\u201d <\/p>\n

The Sunday Times reported that just three minutes before the 12.05pm stabbing Sir David had ended a Zoom meeting with PR man Richard Hillgrove. They had been discussing the Children\u2019s Parliament for which Mr Hillgrove\u2019s daughter Lola, 11, had been matched with the MP.<\/p>\n

Mr Hillgrove saw reports of the murder on TV and said: \u201cI was honoured to have known him. He was such an inspiration. <\/p>\n

"His engagement was incredible. He made sense of a crazy world.\u201d<\/p>\n

'Absolutely devastated'<\/h2>\n

Leigh Tory councillor John Lamb said he had spoken to Sir David\u2019s widow Julia, adding: \u201cShe and the rest of the family, especially the daughters, are as you can imagine absolutely devastated. David just went out to do his job. The job he does here once a month and he didn\u2019t come home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yesterday police spent 30 minutes briefing PM Boris Johnson, Home Secretary Priti Patel, Labour\u2019s Sir Keir Starmer, local Tory MP James Duddridge and Essex police commissioner Roger Hirst near to Belfairs methodist church hall where the murder took place.<\/p>\n

The rival politicians laid flowers and cards underneath an oak outside the church. Labour and the Lib Dems announced they will not stand \u00adcandidates in the by-election. <\/p>\n

Sir David had been due to walk one of his four daughters down the aisle at her wedding in December. He had done the same honour at 31-year-old daughter Alexandra\u2019s wedding in August. His other children are Katie, a 36-year-old actress, Sarah, 33, Florence, 30, and son David Jnr, 37.<\/p>\n

Retired headteacher David \u00adGibbins fears his friend may have been targeted for his religion. He said: \u201cIt is well known locally that he was a Christian, who went to a Catholic church, and people are wondering whether that is the motive.\u201d<\/p>\n

It also emerged that colleagues and pals had warned Sir David he was being seen as a \u201csoft target\u201d after activists \u2014 including climate change protesters \u2014 had demonstrated outside his constituency office in recent months.<\/p>\n

It is well-known locally that he was a Christian, who went to a Catholic church, and people are wondering whether that is the motive.<\/p>\n

Last night tearful locals laid \u00addozens of wreaths with cards, teddy bears and photos. Sir David was an animal rights champion and proud backer of the Westminster Dog of the Year competition, which he contested with his French bulldogs.<\/p>\n

Retired school caretaker David Brockwell, 73, said he would fondly remember Sir David popping into the Royal British Legion club in nearby Westcliff-on-Sea.<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cHe was a lovely man, very down to earth with absolutely no airs and graces. He would come in the club and he liked a pint \u2014 and he always got his round in as well.\u201d<\/p>\n


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Failures of Govt \u2018stop terror\u2019 net<\/h3>\n

Ben Griffiths<\/p>\n

A STRING of fanatics referred to the Government\u2019s Prevent deradicalisation programme have slipped through the net.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reading attacker Khairi Saadallah, 25, was flagged to Prevent officials but was \u201cnot found to have a fixed ideology\u201d. He killed three men in June 2020.<\/p>\n

Tube bomber Ahmed Hassan, 18, was referred to the Channel mentoring scheme, part of Prevent. But at the time of the attack in 2017, it was considering closing his case.<\/p>\n

And Haroon Syed, 19, who plotted \u201cmass murder\u201d with a nail bomb, slipped through the net.<\/p>\n

Official figures show the names of 6,287 suspected terrorists were passed to security services last year. Of those, 697 went on to receive Prevent support.<\/p>\n

Fears of an Iran link toTory killing<\/h3>\n

Ryan Sabey<\/p>\n

SIR David Amess was at an Iranian opposition rally which a Tehran diplomat plotted to bomb \u2014 amid speculation of an Iran link to the MP\u2019s murder.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He joined five other British MPs at the event outside Paris in 2018, where dissident Maryam Rajavi was a key target.<\/p>\n

Diplomat Assadollah Assadi, 49, was jailed for 20 years after Belgian prosecutors said the bomb plot could have caused a \u201cbloodbath\u201d.<\/p>\n

Sir David was hailed as a champion by the Iranian opposition \u2014 and had called for Iran\u2019s president to be banned from the COP26 summit in Glasgow.<\/p>\n

The Catholic MP may also have been targeted for his religious beliefs, one senior source added.<\/p>\n