Sir David Amess killer was on terror alert list and had extremist material
The man being held was last night named as
Ali Harbi Ali. Witnesses said he appeared “dead behind the eyes” after the attack.
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
told The Mail on Sunday 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, Essex.
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 examining the theory he 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.