Man charged with murder in UK lawmaker stabbing

London’s Metropolitan Police Service on Thursday announced that 25-year-old British man Ali Harbi Ali has been charged with murder in the stabbing death of former British lawmaker David Amess.

The police said that he has been charged with murder and preparing acts of terrorism. Ali is expected to appear in court later on Thursday and is currently detained by police.

“Today’s charge is a significant milestone in the case, but the work from my colleagues in the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command will continue apace,” Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations Matt Jukes said in a statement.

Jukes urged people to speak about the case carefully to avoid swaying the opinion of those involved in the trial.

“I understand the huge level of public interest in this case, but now a charge has been brought, it is vitally important that everyone exercises restraint when commenting on it publicly, to ensure future court proceedings are not prejudiced in any way,” Jukes said.

Last week, Amess was stabbed multiple times after meeting with constituents at a Methodist church in the coastal town of Leigh-on-Sea. London police later deemed that the incident was an act of terrorism with “a potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism.”

Amess’s death was similar to an incident that occurred five years prior when a far-right extremist killed British lawmaker Jo Cox, who was on her way to meet with voters.

Days after the Amess was slain, Ali’s name emerged.

Ali’s father Harbi Ali Kullane, who was a former top Somalian official, told the Sunday Times that “I’m feeling very traumatized. It’s not something that I expected or even dreamed of.”

“I want to send my deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Sir David Amess, who died so tragically last Friday,” Jukes said in his statement on Thursday. “Sir David’s dedication to his family, his constituents and his community, and his positive impact on the lives of so many has shone through.”