Jo Cox murder accused appears at crown court under ‘terrorism protocol’

The defendant, who was wearing a grey tracksuit, refused to give his correct name and did not reply when asked to confirm his address and date of birth.

He is now being held in custody and today’s hearing is expected to consider any application for bail.

Previous allegations about him can not be reported under British law in order not to prejudice the case against him.

Many groups on either side of the much-anticipated referendum on the UK’s continued European Union membership, which is slated for June 23, postponed their campaigning following Cox’s death as a sign of respect.

Cox was attacked after spending Thursday morning at a local school and a care home when she made her way to a pre-arranged constituency surgery in Birstall library at lunchtime.

“Her killing is an attack on our democracy, it is an attack on our whole society”, said Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Thomas Mair, a Neo-Nazi-linked 52 year old from West Yorkshire, allegedly yelled “Britain First” as he shot, stabbed, and reportedly dragged the 41-year-old mother along the ground by her hair.

Gun murders are relatively rare in Britain and Cox’s killing has shocked the country.

And U.S. President Barack Obama phoned Cox’s husband, Brendan, from Air Force One to offer his condolences.

“She lived the life that she wanted to live and yet in her mum’s words, she had so much more that she could have done”.

“She had strong political views and I believe she was killed because of those views”, Cox said.

“A Mr. Thomas A. Mair from Batley in Yorkshire subscribed to our magazine S.A. Patriot when we were still published in South Africa itself”, magazine editor A.D. Harvey told CNN, adding the publication had “no further contact with him” after brief correspondence in the mid-1980s.

He is also charged with grievous bodily harm against pensioner Bernard Kenny who came to Jo Cox’s aid.

A fund created in Cox’s memory by her friends and family has raised more than £250 000 (R5.4m) so far for charities close to her heart.

The money will go between The Royal Voluntary Service and The White Helmets, which supports volunteer workers in Syria.

A church service was held in Mrs Cox’s Birstall constituency on Sunday to remember her life.

“And she was particularly anxious – we talked about this regularly – particularly anxious about the direction of, not just in the United Kingdom but globally, the direction of politics at the moment, particularly around creating division and playing on people’s worst fears rather than their best instincts”.

Mourners laid flowers on the roof of the converted barge along with pictures of the slain MP.