Hartlepool murder-accused Islamic extremist stabbed man in heart

A pensioner allegedly murdered by an Islamic extremist died from a stab wound to his heart, a court has heard.

Terence Carney, 70, was out for his regular early morning walk when he was attacked by Ahmed Alid in Hartlepool in October, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Mr Alid, a Moroccan asylum seeker, denies murder and the attempted murder of his housemate.

Home Office pathologist Dr Nigel Cooper said Mr Carney was stabbed several times with at least moderate force.

The court has heard Mr Alid lived with three other asylum seekers at a house on Wharton Street in Hartlepool.

At about 05:00 GMT on 15 October, he broke into the room of his sleeping housemate Javed Nouri and stabbed him six times, breaking a kitchen knife in the process.

Mr Nouri fought back and Mr Alid fled into the streets with a second knife, prosecutors allege.

'Chest wounds'

He came across Mr Carney on Raby Road and attacked him, pushing him to the ground and repeatedly stabbing him, the court has heard.

Police responding to a 999 call from Mr Nouri's housemate found Mr Carney lying in the street and he was declared dead at the scene.

Dr Cooper said Mr Carney's cause of death was "stab wounds to the chest", in particular a 2in (5cm) deep blow that punctured the heart.

Ahmed Alid is on trial for four offences, including murder and attempted murder, at Teesside Crown Court

The pathologist said injuries had also been inflicted to the liver and a lung and the stabbing would have been done with at least moderate force.

He said the stab wounds were consistent with having been caused by a kitchen knife with an 8in (20cm)-long blade found on Mr Alid when he was arrested.

The court has heard Mr Alid followed an "extreme interpretation of Islam" and objected to Iranian Mr Nouri converting to Christianity.

'Kill more people'

Jurors were shown police bodycam footage of his arrival at Middlesbrough Police Station at about 06:30 on 15 October.

As he was led from the police van, Mr Ahmed spoke for several minutes in Arabic and, among religious rhetoric, said he was following Allah and acting for Gaza.

He also said his hand was injured and if it was not for that he would have continued attacking people.

As he was led to the custody desk to be checked in, he shouted "Allahu Akbar", which means "God is greatest", several times and resumed his religious speech.

Mr Alid told police he carried out the two attacks in support of Palestine and in protest of Israel and the Gaza conflict.

In his 87-minute-long interview conducted through an Arabic translator, Mr Alid told detectives he was responsible for killing Mr Carney and the attempted murder of Mr Nouri, who he believed had died, adding he intended to "kill more people".

'Machine gun'

Mr Alid said the "whole issue" was the "independence of Palestine" and "to have two dead victims [was] better than more", adding Israel had "killed a lot of children" so he "killed two old people".

He said Mr Carney was a "poor man" who had "committed no faults", but he was killed because Britain had "created" Israel and "should make it leave".

He remained silent to a number of questions and at one point appeared to hold his breath and at another pointed his finger towards the ceiling, the court heard.

Mr Alid later told police he swore by Allah that if he had had a "machine gun" there would have been "thousands" of victims.

'Bear hug'

Mr Alid also denies assaulting two female police officers at the end of his interview.

In a statement read to the court, one of the detectives said Mr Alid had become "increasingly agitated and angry" during the interview and appeared to be directing his anger at the interpreter.

Due to his shouting the officers ended the interview, at which point Mr Alid stood up "while shouting in Arabic", the court heard.

Both officers pressed an urgent assistance button but that did not appear to work, the court heard, with Mr Alid positioning himself against the door as a barricade.

The detective said Mr Alid then "lunged" at her and grabbed her in a "bear hug", and she was only able to break free after they fell to the floor.

Other officers then arrived and restrained him, the court heard.

The detective said she was physically uninjured but "quite shaken", especially knowing what he had been accused of and admitted to in the interview.

The second officer said she "panicked" as Mr Alid blocked the door and her "heart completely sank" when the emergency alarm failed to sound despite her pressing the button multiple times.

Mr Alid's solicitor, who was also in the room, called 999 to say they were "stuck in a room with a terror suspect", the court heard.

The second officer said she felt "fortunate" the interview was being monitored by other officers on a different floor who ran to the interview room.

The officer said the whole incident lasted three to four minutes "but felt much longer".

She said her left shoulder and hand were injured when she was pushed against a wall and when Mr Alid grabbed at her.

The trial continues.