Guilty: Hartlepool pensioner murdered by 'Islamic extremist'

Ahmed Ali Alid grabbed two knives before repeatedly stabbing Javed Nouri while shouting "Allahu Akbar" during the attack.

The 45-year-old fled the shared house in Hartlepool before coming across Terrence Carney as he took an early morning walk through the town centre.

Alid repeatedly stabbed the pensioner before leaving him to die in the street, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Armed officers managed to track down the suspect as he wandered around Hartlepool town centre in the early hours of October 15 last year.

Jurors heard how Alid’s behaviour had become increasingly erratic since the conflict in Gaza had broken out.

The Moroccan national had started carrying a knife in the house while watching news feeds from the conflict and the housemates had raised their concerns with police and the landlord just day's before the pensioner was murdered.

Jonathan Sandiford KC, prosecuting, said Alid told police officers he had wanted to kill them because of the conflict in Gaza and to further his desire that Palestine would be free from the Zionists, by which he meant Israel.

One of the knives used by Ahmed Ali Alid during his murderous attack (Image: Counter Terrorism Policing North East)

Mr Nouri and two other housemates believed that Alid followed an extreme version of Islam and started to keep a knife with him after watching coverage of the attacks by Hamas on Israel.

Jurors heard how Mr Nouri was stabbed in the legs but managed to get hold of Alid in a headlock and disarm him of one knife.

A recording of a 999-call captured Alid repeatedly shouting: “Allahu Akbar” [“God is Great”], Mr Sandiford said.

Alid then left the property and soon came across Mr Carney and CCTV captured the moment he double-backed on the pensioner before launching his brutal, fatal attack.

Mr Sandiford said: “The man moved quickly forward to attack Mr Carney, lunging at him with the knife.

“Mr Carney retreated, and the defendant pushed or stabbed him to the ground in the mouth of Tees Street.

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“He dropped the knife but immediately picked it up and continued to attack Mr Carney who managed to get to his feet but was pushed or stabbed to the ground again.

“The defendant continued to attack Mr Carney, circling him, and stabbing him with the knife a number of times when he was effectively defenceless and crying out “No, No”.”

The jury returned a unanimous verdict of all charges – murder, attempted murder, and two charges of assault on an emergency worker – after three hours of deliberation.

Alid, of Wharton Terrace, Hartlepool, will be sentenced on May 17 at the same court.