Terror cops haul bags of evidence from Sir David Amess murder suspect Ali Harbi Ali’s home after descending on 3 houses
TERROR cops were today spotted hauling bags of evidence from the home of a man suspected of murdering Sir David Amess, as officers descended on three London houses.
Officers were seen carrying sacks out of the Ali Harbi Ali‘s house in Kentish town – while police combed his childhood home of in Croydon, as well as his father’s home in bounds green.
Officers have been guarding the council flat on a celebrity street of £2million three-storey townhouses where suspect Ali Harbi Ali lives in North London since Friday.
A yellow police forensics gazebo was erected in the front garden of a property.
And today a police officer was seen was seen emerging from the address in Lady Somerset Roads carrying several large bags marked ‘police’
One clear evidence bag appeared to contain several cardboard boxes among other items.
Officers have also installed blue panels around the sides of the tent to prevent members of the public being able to see inside.
Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer is the local MP and lives just streets away.
Neighbours include broadcaster Giles Coren and, formerly, the late actor Roger Lloyd Pack, who played Trigger in Only Fools And Horses.
The house is one of three properties searched in the aftermath of Sir David’s brutal murder while carrying out a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.
The killer was “dead behind the eyes” after the attack, was on a terror watch list and had extremist material on his phone.
Meanwhile the suspect’s mum and sisters haven’t been seen at his childhood Croydon home since Friday.
Cops probed the home on Friday afternoon – just hours after Sir David was knifed.
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Investigators searched the house and the garage, while also speaking to one of the alleged killer’s sisters.
An unmarked police car was seen out the front of the home all weekend.
A neighbour said they were a “lovely family” and that the mum and sisters had been helping him get medicine and shopping during the lockdown.
Ali lived at the home until he was 16 or 17, according to a neighbour. He came back to visit his mum regularly.
Ali and his brother kept themselves to themselves growing up and were always studying, according to those who lived nearby.
Another neighbour said Ali was a “normal boy” and was shocked when he saw that he had attacked Sir David.
His dad Harbi Ali Kullane, a former adviser to the prime minister of Somalia, confirmed that his British-born son was in custody.
He told : “I’m feeling very traumatised. It’s not something that I expected or even dreamt of.”
The tragedy comes as…
- Sir David Amess’ murder suspect was named as Ali Harbi Ali, 25, as anti-terror police granted six more days to quiz him
- The alleged killer was on terror alert list and had extremist material on his phone
- The “dead behind the eyes” knifeman allegedly knifed the MP 17 times – and sat calmly while he waited for police to arrive
- The “traumatised” dad of the suspect begged “there should be no room for hatred” after MP Jo Cox’s death
- Sir David received an “upsetting threat” just days before his murder – after revealing his family paid a “big price” for his high-profile MP job
- Cops could stand guard outside constituency surgeries to protect MPs after Sir David Amess’s murder, Priti Patel said
A neighbour told the PA news agency: “We knew the family quite well as superficial neighbours. Very nice family, the mum was very, very nice. They’d say hello in the street, that kind of thing.
“A mother lives there with several boys, my husband believes there’s three boys. The youngest has got to be in his 20s. I never saw a father there.
“They’ve been here for years, we’ve lived here for 20 years and they’ve been here longer than us.”
The 25-year-old, a British national with Somali heritage, is being quizzed on suspicion of murdering Sir David at a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on Friday.
Scotland Yard detectives were yesterday granted another six days to quiz him under the Terrorism Act, allowing them to hold him until Friday.
The Met said: “Late on Friday, whilst in police custody, the man was subsequently further detained under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and he is now being held at a London police station.
“On Saturday, detectives were granted a warrant of further detention at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, allowing them to keep the man in custody until October 22, when the warrant expires.”
The force confirmed officers attended three addresses in the London area and conducted searches.
A statement added: “One of these searches has concluded and the others are ongoing. A post-mortem examination has taken place today.”
The killer was said to be “dead behind the eyes” after the attack, was on a terror watch list and had extremist material on his phone.
The killer of Sir David travelled 50 miles by train to murder him – and apparently had told the MP’s staff that he had recently moved to the area.
Security sources that Ali planned his murderous attack more than a week in advance.
Counter-terror cops believe he boarded a service in London to carry out the lone wolf attack.
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.
The suspect had not been on MI5’s “subject of interest” list. But he had been referred to the early stages of the Government Prevent anti-terror scheme.
Cops and security services are said to be examining the theory Ali was radicalised online during lockdown.
And they believe the suspect may have been inspired by al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda offshoot operating in Somalia and Kenya.
Ali is understood to have lived in London after his family came to the UK from the war-torn East African country in the 1990s.
It was reported last night he has family ties to Sir David’s Southend West constituency.
TERROR PROBE
Ali is feared to have planned his murderous attack more than a week in advance, security sources .
Urgent background checks are being carried out to establish any potential links with jihadist groups.
The suspect’s health records are also being examined to check on his psychiatric history.
It is understood Ali had been referred to the government’s Prevent deradicalisation scheme but was not on MI5’s list of active threats.
Essex Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington confirmed that national counter-terrorism officers are leading the investigation after the horror was formally declared as a terror attack.
It’s understood Sir David’s killer had not booked an appointment to see the MP but was allowed a walk-in meeting after waiting 40 minutes.
After stabbing him up to 17 times, he sat quietly in the church beside his lifeless body waiting for cops to arrive, it’s reported.
Witness Anthony Finch said: “He was wearing jeans and a white top and was completely quiet.
“He was in his mid-20s and appeared to be getting into the police car willingly. He was compliant.”
John Lamb, councillor for neighbouring West Leigh, said Sir David was with two female members of staff when a man “literally got a knife out and just began stabbing him”.
Mr Lamb told The Sun that the two women, one of whom is PA Julie Cushion, were heartbroken.
He said: “They are devastated. I’ve no idea of the motive. He had no known enemies.
“I’m told the man was waiting calmly to be seen. It’s horrendous. So awful.”
Sir David, 69, who represented Southend West in Essex, was attacked just after midday at Belfairs Methodist Church.
Paramedics frantically battled to save the stricken MP while horrified constituents watched as the suspect was led away from the bloodbath.
However, in spite of their efforts, he died at the scene.
Home Secretary Priti Patel has asked all police forces to review security arrangements for MPs “with immediate effect”, a Home Office spokesman said.
It’s been confirmed that all politicians will be contacted regarding their security arrangements.
RIP Sir David
Sir David was one of the longest serving MPs in the House of Commons.
He was born in Essex in 1952 and has served the area for 38 years as an MP.
Sir David was a Tory MP since 1983, first for the seat of Basildon, and since 1997 for Southend West, where he has a majority of 14,459.
He was a backer of Brexit and supported leave in the referendum, saying it was “dangerous” and a “mistake” to Remain.
The lifelong backbencher never served in any top government positions but was well-versed in how to lobby ministers from the backbenches.
The MP long had a passion for animals and was patron of the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation – along with the PM’s wife Carrie. He also campaigned against fox-hunting.
Sir David was a Roman Catholic and opposed abortion laws and same sex marriage.
On foreign policy, he voted for the Iraq war, but later was very critical about the failure to find any WMDs.
Earlier this year, Sir David launched a new campaign for a permanent memorial to Dame Vera Lynn, along with her family.
MPs said he was a genuinely well-respected politician and liked by members all across the spectrum.
He is married with one son and four daughters.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said questions are “rightly being asked” about the safety of MPs following the killing of Sir David Amess and she will “provide updates in due course”.
Robert Halfon, Tory MP for Harlow and a friend of Sir David’s, told The Sun: “He was the embodiment of Essex man.
“He was just the most wonderful and kindest and funny and compassionate politicians that we had the lucky to know in our lifetimes.”
History of violent attacks on MPs
Sir David is the latest MP to be killed while serving in office.
Jo Cox
Labour MP Jo Cox was murdered in June 2016 by right wing fanatic Thomas Mair as she was on her way to a constituency surgery in Batley and Spen.
Her murder, which came just days before the EU referendum, sparked a national outcry and prompted politicians to massively ramp up their security.
Mair was jailed for life for the attack.
Stephen Timms
In 2010 Labour MP Stephen Timms was stabbed by a woman who claimed she was seeking revenge for his support of the Iraq War at his constituency surgery in east London.
His attacker, Roshonara Choudhry, 21 a radicalised student, stabbed Mr Timms twice in the stomach before his assistant managed to drag her off.
The surgeon who operated on him described the injuries he suffered as “potentially life-threatening”.
Nigel Jones
Lib Dem MP Nigel Jones was stabbed and his assistant, Andy Pennington, murdered, when a man brandishing a sword burst into his constituency and attacked him in 2000.
Attacker Robert Ashman spent 8 years in a secure hospital for the attack.
Ian Gow
In 1990, the Eastbourne MP was was killed by an IRA car bomb at his Sussex home at the age of 53.
Sir Anthony Berry
The MP for Enfield Southgate died in the IRA bombing of Brighton’s Grand Hotel, where Margaret Thatcher was staying for the 1984 Conservative Party conference.
Robert Bradford
In 1981, the Ulster Unionist Party was shot dead by the IRA while holding a constituency surgery in a Belfast community centre in 1981.
Airey Neave
The terror group also claimed the life of former Northern Ireland secretary Neave.
His car was blown up as he drove out of the parliamentary car park at Westminster in 1979.
Spencer Perceval
Perceval is the only prime minister to have been murdered in office.
He was shot dead in the lobby of the House of Commons in 1812.
‘COWARDLY’
Friday’s stabbing comes five years after MP Jo Cox, 41, was gunned down and stabbed to death in broad daylight.
The Labour politician and mother was murdered by Thomas Mair, 53, who was sentenced to life imprisonment with a whole life order.
Jo’s husband Brendan Cox said: “Attacking our elected representatives is an attack on democracy itself.
“There is no excuse, no justification. It is as cowardly as it gets.”
The Jo Cox Foundation, which was started after the MP’s murder, said: “The Jo Cox Foundation is horrified to hear the news of the attack on Sir David Amess MP.
“We are thinking of him, his family and loved ones at this distressing time.”
Sir David had been MP for Southend West since 1997 and first entered parliament in 1983.