Comments | ontd_political: Student guilty of attempted murder of MP Stephen Timms

paulnolan in ontd_political

Student guilty of attempted murder of MP Stephen Timms

Nov 02, 2010 21:06

A student has been found guilty of attempting to murder MP Stephen Timms because he voted for the Iraq war.

Roshonara Choudhry, 21, stabbed the Labour MP for East Ham twice in the stomach at a constituency surgery in Newham, east London, in May.

Choudhry, of Central Park Road, East Ham, was also convicted of two counts of possessing a knife.

Police ( Read more... )

iraq, crime, uk

Comments 32

thebigbadbutch November 2 2010, 23:53:13 UTC

She was said to have watched online sermons by Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical American Muslim cleric of Yemeni descent, our correspondent added.

Yeah, this still does not justify Barack Obama's authorization of the murder of al-Awlaki.

merig00 November 3 2010, 00:02:37 UTC

Also, possessing kitchen knives is an offence now? I'd better be careful next time I go to Ikea - I'm needing a new set and would hate to get caught with them on the way home.
Actually I think it is in UK. I remember a story from last year when some woman defended herself against robbers with a kitchen knife and then was arrested by cops for it.

ms_maree November 3 2010, 00:07:14 UTC

I think everyone would have assumed she was an extremist muslim anyway. Put the name together with the motive for her offence and most people would have jumped to that conclusion (I would have).

And possessing a knife out and about has always been an offence in Australia, they did police search of bags on the Melbourne train lines after the murder of that Indian student (more to show they were doing something) and confiscated a lot of knives. It's a concealed weapon.

I don't think it would count if you just brought it at the store and it was still in it's packaging...

mneiai November 3 2010, 00:22:17 UTC

Yeah, I think you're right. Also, I think the added statement that she was influenced by an extremist ideology is a sort of attempt to remove her from just "everyday Muslims on the street" sort of deal.

Possessing a knife in certain parts of the US can be illegal, too. In DC I can't even carry mace without having it registered as a concealed weapon. Of course, in other states you can carry a knife around (I know people who do, even, for various reasons) no problem. Then I think it becomes some sort of "intent" crime if you're caught stabbing someone with it.

Though, I'm confused by the "two counts of possessing a knife." You get charged for having a knife twice if you stab someone twice? That's...kinda confusing.

ms_maree November 3 2010, 00:24:32 UTC

Maybe she had two knives?
eta: YEAH SHE DID, bad reading skills.

mneiai November 3 2010, 00:39:01 UTC

Well, that doesn't make any sense--why the hell did she need two knives? Man, illogical attempted murderers are so annoying ^.^

Thread 12

(The comment has been removed)

paulnolan November 3 2010, 00:47:08 UTC

having a concealed weapon with intent is a crime.

Yup, but the article phrased it as though just possessing a knife regardless of intent is a crime.

(The comment has been removed)

paulnolan November 3 2010, 01:07:53 UTC

convicted of two counts of possessing a knife

Not "possessing a knife with intent to get her stab on", just "possessing a knife".

Thread 5

zoram November 3 2010, 00:47:58 UTC

Also, possessing kitchen knives is an offence now?

It is in Sweden, at least. We got a huge talk on it at a summer camp I went to, which... somehow ended in one of the commanders saying that he wanted to kill someone with a chainsaw. Wut.

Anyway, it is illegal if you aren't transporting it or have it as a part of a uniform.