A Moroccan asylum-seeker, Ahmed Alid, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday for the murder of British retiree Terence Carney, in what the judge described as a terrorist act. Alid, who will serve a minimum of 45 years before being eligible for parole, committed the crime as an act of revenge for Israel’s conflict with Hamas.
Upon his arrest, Alid, 45, informed the police that he killed the 70-year-old Carney in Hartlepool, northeast England, because “Israel had killed innocent children.” He further elaborated, “They killed children and I killed an old man,” during police questioning.
Prosecutors detailed that the incident occurred on October 15, eight days after Hamas attacked Israel, which initiated the war in Gaza. On that day, Alid first attacked his housemate, Iranian asylum-seeker Javed Nouri, with a knife while Nouri was asleep. Nouri survived the assault. Alid then encountered Carney, who was taking his morning walk and stabbed him six times.
Prosecution lawyer Jonathan Sandiford highlighted that Alid had expressed to the police his desire to inflict more harm, stating that “if he had had a machine gun and more weapons, he would have killed more victims.”
Although Alid admitted to stabbing the two men, he denied intending to kill or cause serious harm. Nevertheless, a jury at Teesside Crown Court last month convicted him of murder, attempted murder, and two counts of assaulting police officers during his post-arrest interview.
Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb sentenced Alid to life imprisonment, underscoring his lack of remorse. “The murder of Terence Carney was a terrorist act in which you hoped to influence the British government,” she stated. “You hoped to frighten the British people and undermine the freedoms they enjoy.”
Patricia Carney, the victim’s wife, conveyed in her impact statement that she could no longer visit the town center due to the painful memories associated with her husband’s murder.
Javed Nouri, who had converted to Christianity, shared that the attack shattered his sense of security. “I would expect to be arrested and killed in my home country for converting to Christianity, but I did not expect to be attacked in my sleep here,” he said. “How is it possible for someone to destroy someone’s life because of his religion?”