Footage shows police arrive at hostel before man 'killed pensioner for Gaza'

16 April 2024, 13:52 | Updated: 16 April 2024, 18:11

Footage has been shown to a jury of the moment armed police arrived at a hostel before a Moroccan asylum seeker stabbed a pensioner in the street "for Gaza".

Ahmed Ali Alid, 45, allegedly attempted to kill his housemate, Javed Nouri, because he had converted to Christianity and believed he was an apostate - someone who has abandoned their religion.

Teesside Crown Court heard he then went out onto the streets of Hartlepool, where he encountered Terence Carney, 70, who was out for a morning walk, attacking him and stabbing him to death.

Alid told police the attack, on 15 October last year, a week after the Hamas attacks on Israel, was "because of the conflict in Gaza" and to remove "Zionists" from Palestine.

The body-worn footage showed Mohammed Karimi, another Christian convert from Iran who lived in the terraced house, directing armed police into the property saying: "This way, please he's dying, there's a lot of blood."

Mr Nouri had barricaded himself in his room after tackling Alid, who stabbed him as he lay asleep in bed at 5am.

Mr Karimi described how he ran downstairs to try and help Mr Nouri when he heard him shouting for help.

He told police: "I woke up to shouting. I was so shocked and scared. Straight away I found out it was Javed and Ahmed.

"I ran downstairs and tried to open the door. They were blocking the door from the inside. I knocked on the door. Javed opened the door while holding Ahmed.

"Javed had the knife, a kitchen knife. I was shocked and scared. I said, give me the knife.

"He had Ahmed under his control but there was blood everywhere on the carpet and the lights were off as well. I saw Javed's leg bleeding so bad. I threw the knife away in the corridor."

He dialled 999 and the emergency call handler told him to go back into his room and lock the door.

"I was shouting, there's a lot of blood, please, please help. We need an ambulance," Mr Karimi added.

Back in his room he heard Mr Nouri "asking for help, shouting my name" and ventured back out and looked down the stairs, hearing the front door close.

"I ran back, looked through the window. I saw Ahmed with a knife run off."

'I was ready to die'

Mohammed's friend, Ariyan Karimi - no relation - broke down as he described how he was "scared like a baby" and thought he was going to die.

He described how he had got back to the lodgings at around midnight and was on Instagram on his phone when he heard Alid outside the door, on his way to the kitchen, shouting in Arabic: "God damn these guys.

"These shameless people, these faithless people. I hope God puts you in hell, I hope you see the deepest place in hell."

Alid did not even eat bread that he had not baked himself, the court heard, telling his housemates it was haram - forbidden.

"Haram is his entire life," Mr Karimi added.

When he heard the shouting the next morning, Ariyan followed Mohammed down the stairs, then dialled 999 and retreated to the bathroom.

He saw Alid come out of Mr Nouri's room, pick up the knife and turn as if to come upstairs. He shut the door and waited a few minutes before opening it again.

"I could hear Javed with a really weak voice asking for help and then there was silence and I think I heard Javed's voice one or maybe two more times and then Mohammed shouted to me.

"I was on the phone [to the police] saying please send someone, please send someone. I was talking with a really low voice and the lady couldn't hear me properly.

"I realised I am not hearing anything. I turned the volume all the way down. I didn't breathe for a minute or so. I heard nothing.

"For a few minutes I was ready to die. Scared like a baby, like a child. I don't remember the last time I was so scared honestly."

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Mr Karimi, who was wearing a Houston Rockets basketball top, said he did not think he would be able to see his family again, adding: "I haven't seen them in 10 years, my mum."

The officer asked if he feared for his life and Mr Karimi said: "100%," and broke down in tears.

Alid denies murder, attempted murder and two counts of assaulting female detectives after he was arrested.

The trial continues.