A Moroccan killer accused of murdering a 70-year-old man in an unprovoked attack “was motivated by terrorism”, a court has heard.
Ahmed Alid, 44, appeared at the Old Bailey today accused of knifing Terrence Carney, an innocent passerby, to death shortly after he used a cash point in Hartlepool.
The incident, which happened on Sunday (October 15), saw Alid arrested and charged after an investigation by the Counter-Terrorism Policing North East and Cleveland Police.
He is next due to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on October 27. Alid is also accused of the attempted murder of another individual – namely housemate, Javed Nouri.
It’s alleged he had been fighting with him at around 5.15am on the same day before stabbing him multiple times outside an address in Wharton Terrace. A property in that street houses four asylum seekers, the court heard.
Alid, of Wharton Terrace, appeared today by video-link from HMP Frankland, where he has been remanded. He was surrounded by four security officers.
He did not reply when he was asked to confirm his name, but the Moroccan national, aided by an Arabic interpreter, said: “I’m very ill, I cannot talk, I cannot speak.”
During his court appearance, Alid lent forward and put his head on the desk in front of him – but was quickly pulled back up by officers surrounding him.
Prosecutor Ben Lloyd said: “‘Although the investigation is ongoing police at this time consider the offending to have been motivated by terrorism.”
