The daughter of veteran MP Sir David Amess, who was stabbed to death on in 2021 by an Islamic extremist, is suing Essex Police and the Home Office to “ensure proper accountability and learning” from her father’s murder.
Katie Amess, who is one of Sir David’s five children, has filed a personal injury claim at the High Court.
Her legal representatives, Hickman & Rose solicitors, said that she was “horrified, like so many others, by the fact of her father’s murder and the circumstances surrounding it.”
“She has issued a claim at court as part of her desire to ensure proper accountability and learning from Sir David’s murder, including for the future benefit of others,” said the head of civil litigation at the firm, Daniel Machover.
Sir David was stabbed to death on Oct. 15, 2021 by a home-grown Islamic extremist of Somali descent, Ali Harbi Ali.
Sir David, who had served as MP for Southend West since 1997, was meeting with constituents when he was attacked. The 26-year-old Ali was later handed a whole-life prison term for the murder of the lawmaker.
During his trial, Ali said he had no regrets about the murder, justifying his actions by saying the veteran MP deserved to die as a result of voting for airstrikes on ISIS terrorists in Syria in 2014 and 2015.
Announcing the sentence at the Central Criminal Court at the Old Bailey, Justice Nigel Sweeney said that the “defendant has no remorse or shame for what he has done—quite the reverse.”
He described Amess’s death as a loss “of national significance” and said his murder “struck at the heart of democracy.”
The court also heard that Ali, who was born into an influential Somali family in London, became self-radicalised in 2014.
His attack was no spur-of-the-moment decision, as the assailant had been preparing to carry out a terrorist attack for a number of years, said the prosecution. After considering a trip to Syria to fight for the ISIS terrorist group, he chose to stay in the UK and carry out an attack there.
Speaking about the legal action taken by Sir David’s daughter, the Home Office said it would be “inappropriate to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.”
“The government takes the safety of members of Parliament extremely seriously, and significant work has been taken forward in response to the tragic killing of Sir David Amess,” a spokesperson said.
An Essex Police spokesman described Sir David as a “thoroughly committed public servant who worked tirelessly for his community.”
The spokesman added that two unarmed officers “desperately” tried to save the MP and detain his killer.
“Several other of our officers attended shortly afterwards and worked with paramedic colleagues to help save Sir David, sadly they were unable to do this,” the spokesman added.
Following the murder, the police worked “around the clock to reassure the community and support colleagues from the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terror Command to do all we could to help them secure justice,” the spokesman said.
Essex Police confirmed that a protective claim form has been filed at court but were unable to further comment on the situation.
“We remain committed to supporting our elected members across the county in the execution of their public duty and to this end we regularly review and advise around security arrangements for our members of Parliament. Sir David and the Amess family remain in our thoughts,” the statement said.
Among other cases, the Home Office can be sued for unlawful detention by immigration authorities, malicious prosecution and/or process, harassment, and delay.
