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| Jo Cox murder trial: Jury retires to consider verdicts | Jo Cox murder trial: Jury retires to consider verdicts |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| An Old Bailey jury trying a man accused of murdering Labour MP Jo Cox has begun considering its verdicts. | |
| Thomas Mair, 53, is accused of shooting and stabbing the mother-of-two in Birstall, West Yorkshire, on 16 June, a week before the EU referendum vote. | Thomas Mair, 53, is accused of shooting and stabbing the mother-of-two in Birstall, West Yorkshire, on 16 June, a week before the EU referendum vote. |
| Mr Mair - who denies murder - chose not to give any evidence in his defence. | Mr Mair - who denies murder - chose not to give any evidence in his defence. |
| Jean and Gordon Leadbeater, Mrs Cox's parents, and her sister, Kim, were in court on Wednesday to hear the judge sum up before sending the jury out. | Jean and Gordon Leadbeater, Mrs Cox's parents, and her sister, Kim, were in court on Wednesday to hear the judge sum up before sending the jury out. |
| Mrs Cox's husband, Brendan, and her assistant Fazila Aswat, who was with her when the attack took place, were also in court. | Mrs Cox's husband, Brendan, and her assistant Fazila Aswat, who was with her when the attack took place, were also in court. |
| Mr Mair also denies grievous bodily harm with intent, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of an offensive weapon - a dagger. | |
| The court heard how Mrs Cox, MP for Batley and Spen, was on her way to a constituency surgery when she was set upon outside Birstall library in front of two of her assistants and shocked constituents. | |
| Mr Mair allegedly shouted "Britain first" during the attack and stabbed 78-year-old Bernard Kenny, who had tried to intervene. | |
| He was arrested later that day, telling police officers "it's me", prosecutors said. | |
| The court also heard Nazi-related material was found at the defendant's home in Birstall during a subsequent police raid. | |
| Mrs Cox, 41, was a self-proclaimed "proud Yorkshire lass" who was considered by the then prime minister, David Cameron, to be a "bright star" of Westminster. | |
| In summing-up, Judge Mr Justice Wilkie said the cause of death had been given by a forensic pathologist as multiple stab and gunshot wounds. | In summing-up, Judge Mr Justice Wilkie said the cause of death had been given by a forensic pathologist as multiple stab and gunshot wounds. |
| Evidence of gunshot injuries to both her hands indicated Mrs Cox had tried to protect her head, the judge added. | Evidence of gunshot injuries to both her hands indicated Mrs Cox had tried to protect her head, the judge added. |
| He summarised the prosecution's closing speech which said internet research on Jo Cox and sawn-off rifles pointed to Mr Mair being minded to kill her and there was an apparent confession on his arrest. | He summarised the prosecution's closing speech which said internet research on Jo Cox and sawn-off rifles pointed to Mr Mair being minded to kill her and there was an apparent confession on his arrest. |
| The judge said the defence barrister had also reminded the jury of the burden of proof needed to convict Mr Mair. | The judge said the defence barrister had also reminded the jury of the burden of proof needed to convict Mr Mair. |