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Jo Cox killed in politically motivated murder, trial hears Jo Cox killed in 'brutal, cowardly' and politically motivated murder, trial hears
(about 3 hours later)
The Labour MP Jo Cox was shot three times and stabbed repeatedly in a pre-planned murder with a political or ideological motive, the trial of the accused man has been told. Labour MP Jo Cox was repeatedly shot and stabbed in “brutal, cowardly” and politically-motivated murder, the trial of the man accused of the killing was told on Monday.
Thomas Mair repeatedly said the words “Britain first” as he carried out the attack, Richard Whittam QC, prosecuting, told the Old Bailey on Monday. He struck as Cox went about her business in her constituency during the EU referendum campaign. Thomas Mair was uttering the words “Britain first” and “keep Britain independent” as he carried out the attack, Richard Whittam QC, prosecuting, told the Old Bailey.
“It was a cowardly attack by a man armed with a firearm and a knife,” Whittam told the jury on the opening day of the trial, adding: “It was a premeditated murder for a political and/or ideological cause.” The killer struck as Cox went about her business in her Yorkshire constituency during the European referendum campaign, in which she had supported the campaign to remain in the EU.
Mair is accused of the murder of Cox on 16 June this year; possession of a firearm with intent to commit an offence; possession of a dagger; and grievous bodily harm to a passerby, Bernard Carter Kenny. Her final moments – in an assault described by the prosecution as “dynamic, fast moving and shocking” – were captured by closed circuit television cameras. “It was a cowardly attack by a man armed with a firearm and a knife,” Whittam told the jury. He added: “It was a premeditated murder for a political and/or ideological cause.”
The 53-year-old unemployed gardener declined to enter a plea when he appeared at the Old Bailey last month. As a consequence, not guilty pleas to all the charges were entered on his behalf. Mair is charged with the murder of Cox ‪on 16 June‬ this year, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an offence, possession of a dagger and and grievous bodily harm to a second victim, passerby Bernard Carter Kenny.
Mair is alleged to have killed Cox when she was on her way to a meeting with voters in his home town, Birstall, which is within Batley and Spen, the West Yorkshire constituency to which she had been elected in the general election last year. Cox was 41 when she died, and had two children, then aged five and three. The 53-year-old unemployed gardener declined to enter a plea when he appeared at the Old Bailey last month. As a consequence, not guilty pleas to all four charges were entered on his behalf.
The jury was told that they would not be permitted to serve if they were closely involved in the operation of Oxfam or the Save the Children Fund, two charities with which Cox was associated. Mair is alleged to have accessed a string of internet sites about Nazis, the Ku Klux Klan, the Waffen-SS, Israel, matricide and serial killers in the days before Cox was killed. Items later recovered from his home showed he had “strong political and ideological interests”, Whittam told the court.
The judge, Mr Justice Wilkie, also told them that the case “has attracted considerable public interest and publicity”, but that they should not carry out any research on the internet, and avoid media reports of the trial. The jury was told that Mair struck as Cox was on her way to a meeting with voters at the library in his home town, Birstall. The town lies within Batley and Spen, the West Yorkshire constituency to which she had been elected in the 2015 general election.
Mair, wearing a black tie and dark grey suit, sat making notes as the evidence against him began to be outlined. Cox was 41 when she died, and had two children, then aged five and three. Members of her family, including her parents, Jean and Gordon Leadbetter, and her sister Kim, were in court as Mair’s trial began.
Items found at Mair’s home in Birstall, showed he had “strong political and ideological interests”, Whittam added. The court heard that Mair had used the computers at the same library in the weeks leading up to the killing to access websites. Wearing a black tie and dark suit, Mair sat making notes as the prosecution began to outline its case. The jury was told that the day before Cox was killed, the defendant had gone to the library in Birstall, where he had used a computer to access a number of items, including the Wikipedia page for an online publication called the Occidental Observer.
In May, the prosecutor said, Mair accessed the Wikipedia page of an online publication called the Occidental Observer. Wikipedia described it as a “far-right” publication “that covers politics and society from a white nationalist and antisemitic perspective”. The page states that this is a far-right publication with a white nationalist and antisemitic perspective, and which is concerned with matters such as white identity and western culture, Whittam said.
In the days immediately before the killing he returned to view more online material, the court heard. On 13 June, he looked at the Twitter and Wikipedia pages for Cox, and the Wikipedia page for the Conservative politician Ian Gow, whose killing by the IRA in 1990 made him the last sitting MP to be murdered until that point, jurors were told. Two days earlier, at the same library, Mair had viewed Cox’s Twitter feed, the court heard. He had also looked at the Wikipedia entry for Ian Gow, the Conservative MP murdered by the IRA in 1990, and material about the former foreign secretary William Hague, another Yorkshire politician.
Mair went on to view information about former foreign secretary William Hague, who like Cox supported remaining in the EU. Whittam said Mair also looked at information on .22 gun ammunition, including answers to the question: “Is a .22 round deadly enough to kill with one shot to a human head?” Like Cox, Hague supported the campaign to remain within the European Union. The jury heard that Mair also viewed pages about .22 ammunition, including one that offered an answer to the question: “Is a .22 round deadly enough to kill with one shot to a human’s head?”
The next day, he returned to look at websites on “matricide” – the murder of your mother – Nazi material, the death penalty in Japan, political prisoners and the human liver and spinal column. The court was told that the following day, ‪14 June‬, Mair viewed online material about Nazis, the death penalty in Japan, and serial killers. The jury was shown a series of closed circuit television clips from Birstall, which showed Mair making his way through the town, carrying a bag, on the day that Cox was killed.
The jury was shown a series of closed circuit television clips from Birstall, which showed Mair making his way through the town, carrying a bag, on the day that Cox was killed. He could be seen to be “hovering around” outside the library before Cox arrived with her constituency manager, Fazila Aswat, and caseworker Sandra Major. He could be seen to be “hovering around” outside the library before Cox arrived with her constituency manager, Fazila Aswat, and case-worker, Sandra Major.
As the jury was shown CCTV images of the attack, Mair sat staring straight ahead, ignoring the screens around the court on which they appeared. “It was, as you can tell, a dynamic, fast-moving and shocking” attack, Whittam told the jury. As the judge and jury watched CCTV footage of the actual attack, Mair sat staring straight ahead, ignoring the screens around the court on which it appeared.
Aswat saw Mair stab Cox, shoot her, then stab both Cox and Carter Kenny, who had attempted to intervene. Then she saw Mair shoot Cox again. During the attack, Whittam said, Aswat could hear Mair saying: “Britain first, this is for Britain, Britain will always come first.” Aswat saw Mair approach Cox from behind, stab and then shoot her, then stab both Cox and Carter Kenny, who had attempted to intervene, Whittam said. Then she saw Mair shoot Cox again. During the attack, Aswat could hear Mair saying: “Britain first, this is for Britain, Britain will always come first.”
Cox was shot twice in the head and once in the chest. “She had what the pathologists describe as ‘through and through’ gunshot injuries to her hands, consistent with her hands being used to protect herself,” Whittam said.
In addition, she suffered 15 stab wounds to her heart, lungs, abdomen and right arm. Emergency services arrived within minutes and an emergency operation was conducted at scene but Cox could not be saved.
Carter Kenny, 77, a former miner, survived after surgery.
There were many witnesses, Whittam said. Rashid Hussain, a taxi driver, was dropping off a fare. He challenged Mair, demanding that he “leave her alone”, but was warned: “You just go away, otherwise I’m going to stab you.” Hussain also alleges Mair said words to the effect of “Britain first”.
Jack Foster saw Mair shoot Cox and shout: “Britain first”. Foster shouted: “Fucking leave her alone” but Mair fired a second shot.
The court heard that Mair was arrested moments later, with a knife and a firearm in his bag. When the weapon was recovered, Mair declared: “I’m a political activist.”
Whittam said: “There is no credible suggestion that she was not murdered. Jo Cox was murdered by being shot and stabbed. He did it. Thomas Mair held views that provided him with a motive – utterly misplaced of course – to kill her. The prosecution suggests that he killed her because she was an MP who did not share his views.”
Members of the jury were told that they would not be permitted to serve if they were closely involved in the operation of Oxfam or the Save The Children Fund, two charities with which Cox was associated.
The judge, Mr Justice Wilkie, also told them that the case “has attracted considerable public interest and publicity, and will continue to do so”, but that they should not conduct any research on the internet, and should avoid media reports of the trial.
The case continues.The case continues.