‘MP killer checked on Gove home 5 times'

‘Plan to smash into MP’s house at night’

- TOM PETTIFOR

“TWISTED” Ali Harbi Ali staked out Michael Gove’s home on five occasions while planning to murder the Cabinet minister, a jury has heard.

Ali, 26, had considered kicking down the door of Mr Gove’s home at night or launching an attack while the Tory was jogging, the Old Bailey was told.

Instead, “fanatical Islamist terrorist” Ali killed Conservative MP Sir David Amess by stabbing him 21 times with a 12-inch blade at a constituency surgery at a church, the court heard.

Other politicians Ali allegedly identified included Labour leader Keir Starmer, Deputy PM Dominic Raab, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and former Chancellor Nigel Lawson, the jury heard.

Wearing glasses and a black robe, Ali sat in the dock just yards from members of Sir David’s family as the murder trial began yesterday.

Prosecutor Tom Little QC said: “This is a case involving a cold and calculated murder, a murder in a place of worship.

“A murder carried out because of a warped and twisted and violent ideology.

“It was a murder carried out by [Ali] who for many years had been planning just such an attack and is a committed, fanatical, radicalised Islamist terrorist.