Man accused of killing MP Jo Cox appears in court: ‘Death to traitors, freedom for Britain’
The man suspected of shooting Labour MP Jo Cox has appeared in court, and was heard saying: “Death to traitors, freedom for Britain.”
Ms Cox, the MP for Member of Parliament for Batley and Spen, tragically died earlier this week after being shot and stabbed outside a library in her constituency where she was holding an advice session.
Some eyewitnesses told local media that the attacker shouted the phrase ‘Put Britain first’ at the scene.
When asked to state his name, Thomas Mair told Westminster Magistrates’ Court: “Death to traitors, freedom for Britain”.
The 52-year-old has been charged with murder, GBH, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of an offensive weapon.
A 77-year-old man who tried to intervene in the attack is in a stable condition in hospital after being injured.
Mair was remanded in custody and is due to appear at the Old Bailey on Monday.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which monitors far-right extremist groups across the US, on Friday released records allegedly showing that Mair had ties to the National Alliance (NA) – a US-based neo-Nazi organisation.
The SPLC released invoices showing that a person identified as Thomas Mair of Batley sent $620 to the NA’s printing imprint, National Vanguard Books.
He had bought guidebooks on explosives on munitions, as well as Ich Kampfe, an illustrated handbook issued to members of the Nazi party in 1942.
The SPLC also reports a subscription to the NA’s periodicals. The NA supported the creation of an all-white homeland and the eradication of Jewish people.
According to the Telegraph, Mair was also listed as a former subscriber of South African pro-apartheid magazine SA Patriot. The group says that Mair had not been subscribed for some years.
Comments have been disabled for legal reasons.
