Sir David Amess’ aide who was present as the MP was murdered at his constituency surgery has said she 'can never get that scream out of her mind'.
The homegrown terrorist who murdered veteran MP Sir David in a warped retaliation against politicians who voted to bomb Syria has been handed a whole-life prison term today.
Unrepentant Ali Harbi Ali pursed his lips briefly as Mr Justice Sweeney handed down his sentence at the Old Bailey on Wednesday.
Ali, 26, travelled to Leigh-on-Sea in Essex on October 15 last year and stabbed the veteran Conservative backbencher 21 times with a 12-inch carving knife in front of his aide, before being tackled to the floor by plain-clothes police officers.
Julie Cushion, Sir David Amess’ aide who was present at the time of the killing, had her victim impact statement read to the court by Prosecutor Tom Little QC today, where she detailed her feelings of hopelessness and distress.
She said: “Since the 15th of October 2021 I have had to drive by the church of Sir David’s death nearly every day as it’s close to where I live.
"It’s a constant reminder of what happened. I have a huge sense of guilt as I booked the venue. I can never get that scream out of my mind when Sir David was attacked.
"I remember that awful feeling of distress while we waited for help, feeling helpless and hopeless. The expression on the perpetrator’s face has stayed with me all the time. A look of smug, self satisfaction.
"I now work for a new MP, but I also have the fear that she could be attacked.”
The family of Sir David said in a statement: "There is no elation in our family today following this sentencing. Our amazing husband and father has been taken from us in an appalling and violent manner. Nothing will ever compensate for that.
"We will wake each day and immediately feel our loss. We will struggle through each day for the rest of our lives. Our last thought before sleep will be of David. We will forever shed tears for the man we have lost. We shall never get over this tragedy.
"It breaks our heart to know that our husband and father would have greeted the murderer with a smile of friendship and would have been anxious to help. How sickening to think what happened next. It is beyond evil."
The judge said at the hearing: "The defendant has no remorse or shame for what he has done - quite the reverse.
"This is a murder that struck at the heart of democracy."
He described Sir David's death as a loss "of national significance".
The whole-life sentence means Ali will never be eligible for parole, and will likely spend the rest of his days in prison.
Current whole-lifers include sexual predator Wayne Couzens, who raped and murdered Sarah Everard, and far-right extremist Thomas Mair, who murdered Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016.
