An asylum seeker from Morocco to the United Kingdom is on trial Thursday for allegedly stabbing a stranger to death out of inspiration for the Palestinian cause, the Daily Mail reported.
Ahmed Alid, the 45-year-old suspect, originally started his alleged stabbing spree when he allegedly tried to kill Javed Nouri, a Christian convert from Islam and a fellow asylum seeker, while he slept on Oct. 15, a British court heard, according to the outlet. (RELATED: Biden Admin Shelled Out Billions To Orgs Providing Services To Refugees Amid Migrant Surge)
Nouri, who had alerted law enforcement to Alid two days prior, managed to successfully fend off the alleged surprise attack and another roommate disarmed Alid, the court learned, the outlet reported. Alid allegedly grabbed a second knife, went out on the street and allegedly stabbed Terence Carney, a 70-year-old pensioner and stranger, fatally, according to the outlet.
“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 Israel,” prosecutor Jonathan Sadiford told the court of Alid’s alleged actions, Agence France-Presse reported. “The defendant said he would have killed more people if he had been able to do so.”
Live update: Moroccan asylum seeker in UK says he stabbed stranger to death due to Gaza war https://t.co/CHAPy2j89U
— ToI ALERTS (@TOIAlerts) April 11, 2024
The presiding judge, Justice Cheema-Grubb, told the jury Alid was “unlikely” to deny allegedly stabbing the two victims but that his motive was the “central issue,” the BBC reported.
Sandiford is a veteran prosecutor with over 25 years of legal experience including working on cases involving terrorism, Red Lion Chambers said. “Jonathan has a particular interest and experience in internet-based offending and the jurisdictional issues sometimes encountered,” the website added.