Asylum seeker’s murder of pensioner ‘for Palestine’ was terror related, says judge

An asylum seeker who murdered a pensioner in the street in “revenge” for the Israel-Hamas conflict has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 44 years.

The judge, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, ruled that Ahmed Alid, 45, had committed terrorist offences when he murdered Terence Carney and attempted to murder his housemate Javed Nouri.

Alid will serve 44 years and 52 days in prison after stabbing Mr Carney, 70, six times in Hartlepool town centre early on October 15 – eight days after Hamas attacked Israel.

Minutes earlier he attempted to murder his housemate, Christian convert and former bodybuilder Javed Nouri, breaking into his bedroom and attacking him while he slept.

Alid shouted “Allahu Akbar” – “God is great” – during the attack at the Home Office-approved asylum seekers’ accommodation before fleeing into the street, still armed with a knife.

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said Alid then “attacked an unarmed and elderly man who was unable to defend himself”.

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, ruled that Ahmed Alid had committed terrorist offences when he carried out his attack.

She said due to time his time spent on remand, Alid would serve 44 years and 52 days in prison.

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said psychiatric reports had found no evidence of psychosis “or any other serious mental illness” in Ahmed Alid.

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb told Ahmed Alid he had “hoped to frighten the people of Britain and undermine the freedoms they enjoy” when he murdered Terence Carney in a terrorist attack. She said he intended it as revenge for Israel’s response to the Hamas attack and to “influence the British Government”.

The judge added that the attack on Alid’s housemate Javed Nouri was “an attempt to punish him for converting to Christianity”.

The judge told Alid the jury had “seen through (his) lies” after he claimed the explanations he gave to the police had been mistranslated and that political and religious causes were not his actual motivation.

Alid claimed Zionists had “killed more people” than he had, adding: “Zionists must go because they are killing innocent people”.  He justified his attack saying the United Kingdom was liable for what was happening in Palestine.

Alid claimed Mr Carney had made a racist remark towards him and felt he after he was to blame for the incident.  He claimed he was walking through the street shouting “free Palestine” and Mr Carney shouted at him.  Alid said he blamed Mr Carney for the attack and said he felt the elderly man was responsible for Israel’s actions in Gaza.