Islamic extremist murdered Hartlepool man over Gaza, court told

From the Northern Echo

An alleged Islamic extremist is accused of attempting to murder his housemate before stabbing a pensioner to death in the street because of the conflict in Gaza.

Ahmed Ali Alid (court sketch below from a preliminary hearing) armed himself with two knives and attacked Javed Nouri in his bed before wandering the streets of Hartlepool looking for another victim, Teesside Crown Court heard.  Allegedly, the 45-year-old came across Terence Carney as he walked through the town and fatally stabbed him several times.

Jurors heard how after he was arrested he told police “if he had had a machine gun, and more weapons, he would have killed more victims”.

When Alid was interviewed by the police, he initially thought that he had killed both Mr Nouri and Mr Carney. Jonathan Sandiford KC, prosecuting, said Alid told police officers he had wanted to kill them because of the conflict in Gaza and to further his desire that Palestine would be free from the Zionists, by which he meant Israel.

“He said he had wanted to kill them because of the conflict in Gaza and to further his desire that Palestine would be free from the Zionists, by which he meant the state of Israel. . . He said he would have killed more people if he had been able to do so, had he not injured his hand in the act of stabbing Mr Nouri and Mr Carney.”

Jurors heard how Alid branded Mr Nouri an ‘apostate’ after he converted from the Islamic faith to Christianity.  He said: “Matters changed when Mr Nouri began to attend a Christian Church and it became clear to Alid that he was not a Muslim but a Christian convert and therefore, in his eyes, an apostate who deserved to die.”

“Mr Noury heard the defendant kick the door in and woke up to find him shouting “Allahu Akbar” [“God is Great”] and stabbing him in the upper chest near to his heart.

A recording of a 999-call captured Alid repeatedly shouting: “Allahu Akbar” [“God is Great”], Mr Sandiford said.

The court heard how after Alid left the house on Wharton Terrace he started wandering towards the town centre armed with a knife before he came across 70-year-old Mr Carney and CCTV footage captured the fatal attack.

Mr Sandiford said: “The man moved quickly forward to attack Mr Carney, lunging at him with the knife.  Mr Carney retreated, and the defendant pushed or stabbed him to the ground in the mouth of Tees Street. He dropped the knife but immediately picked it up and continued to attack Mr Carney who managed to get to his feet but was pushed or stabbed to the ground again. The defendant continued to attack Mr Carney, circling him, and stabbing him with the knife a number of times when he was effectively defenceless and crying out “No, No”.”

The jury heard how the defendant was arrested nearby shortly afterwards and police found the fatally injured pensioner as they headed towards Wharton Terrace.

Alid, of Wharton Terrace, Hartlepool, denies he murdered the pensioner. He also denies the attempted murder of his housemate, and two charges of assaulting two female police officers who attempted to interview him after the alleged attacks.

The trial continues.