Fury as man who murdered Tory MP Sir David Amess given more than £100,000 in Legal Aid
3 August 2023, 07:54
The man who murdered Tory MP Sir David Amess received over £100,000 in Legal Aid for his trial, it has emerged.
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Ali Harbi Ali repeatedly stabbed Sir David Amess in October 2021 at a constituency surgery in Essex.
He admitted killing but denied murder, claiming he was protecting fellow Muslims.
Figures from the Legal Aid Agency - shared from a freedom of information request by the Sun - revealed that £44,373 was spent on solicitors who worked at court and a police station.
A further £55,655 was spent on two barristers who represented him at his seven-day trial in April 2022.
Tributes paid to Tory MP Sir David Amess
Tory MP Nigel Mills told the paper: "This is a ridiculous amount of money.
"Did he really need two barristers to argue his case when he admitted the killing? There should be a cap on how much people can claim on cases like this."
David Spencer, from the Centre for Crime Prevention, said: "It beggars belief that the taxpayer has had to stump up a six-figure sum to line the pockets of his legal team.
"This is an appalling waste of taxpayers' money. But it comes as no surprise since the Ministry of Justice has so far failed to deliver the much needed reform of legal aid."
Sir David was killed five years after Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox was murdered in her constituency.
His death led to renewed concern around the safety of MPs.
