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25-Year-Old Man Charged With Murder of UK MP David Amess

Ali Harbi Ali is also accused of the preparation of terrorist acts.
Simon Childs
London, GB
Sir David Amess MP. Photo: Zoe Norfolk/Getty Images

A 25-year-old man has been charged with the murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess.

Ali Harbi Ali is also accused of the preparation of terrorist acts, following the fatal stabbing of Amess, 69, while meeting local constituents in a church.

Nick Price, the head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: “We will submit to the court that this murder has a terrorist connection, namely that it had both religious and ideological motivations.”

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Matt Jukes, Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations for the Metropolitan Police, said: "I want to send my deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Sir David Amess, who died so tragically last Friday. Sir David’s dedication to his family, his constituents and his community, and his positive impact on the lives of so many has shone through.”

He added: "Today's charge is a significant milestone in the case, but the work from my colleagues in the Met's Counter Terrorism Command will continue apace.

British MP David Amess Dies After Stabbing Attack

Amess is the second UK MP to be murdered in five years. Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and killed in June 2016 outside her constituency surgery in West Yorkshire by neo-Nazi Thomas Mair.

Amess had represented the constituency of Southend West for almost 25 years, and first entered Parliament in 1983. He was described as "one of the kindest, nicest, most gentle people in politics,” by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.