Terrorist Ali Harbi Ali handed whole-life sentence for murder of Sir David Amess; winked and smirked as he went down.
From the Southend Echo
The homegrown terrorist who murdered veteran MP Sir David Amess in a warped retaliation against politicians who voted to bomb Syria has been handed a whole-life prison term.
Unrepentant Ali Harbi Ali pursed his lips briefly as Mr Justice Sweeney handed down his sentence at the Old Bailey today (Wednesday, April 13).
The judge told 26-year-old Ali: “The defendant has no remorse or shame for what he has done – quite the reverse. This is a murder that struck at the heart of democracy.”
The whole-life sentence means Ali will never be eligible for parole, and will likely spend the rest of his days in prison.
Ali, from Kentish Town in north London, was convicted of murder and preparing terrorist acts on Monday by jurors who spent just 18 minutes in retirement.
On the second count of preparing acts of terrorism, Ali received life imprisonment with a minimum term of 30 years. He will serve it concurrently to his whole life order.
Prosecutors described the case as “overwhelming”, and Ali himself did not dispute much of the evidence.
The Islamic State fanatic carried out his attack at the backbench Conservative MP’s constituency surgery in Leigh on October 15 last year.
Ali told the trial he had no regrets about the murder, defending his actions by saying Sir David deserved to die because he had voted in Parliament for air strikes on Syria in 2014 and 2015.
Ali winked and smirked at members of the press as he was removed from the courtroom and taken down to the cells.