Man found guilty of murdering British lawmaker

A jury has found a man guilty of murdering Labour lawmaker Jo Cox a week before Britain’s European Union membership referendum earlier this year, following a trial that included evidence highlighting his obsession with Nazi Germany and far-right politics.

Cox, a former Brussels-based officer with Oxfam before becoming a Labour MP, was stabbed 15 times and shot three times by Thomas Mair, one of her constituents, who shouted “Britain First!” during the attack, and had Nazi racist literature at his home.

He was also found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to 78-year-old Bernard Kenny, who tried to help the MP when she was attacked.

Brendan Cox promised to respond to hatred with love, “like Jo did”, as he spoke on the steps of the Old Bailey following the life sentence handed down to neo-Nazi Thomas Mair for her murder.

Mair, slight of build and balding with a grey goatee beard, had refused to enter a plea or speak in his defence at the Old Bailey trial.

When Mair, 53, was charged with her murder later that month, he said his name was “Death to traitors, freedom for Britain”.

“There may have been one act of extreme cowardice on that day, but there were acts of extreme bravery”, she added.

Judge Alan Wilkie said there was no doubt the murder was because of white supremacy with links to Nazism, and said Mair had betrayed the sacrifices of the generation who had defeated the Nazis.

He also said that while Mair had styled himself as a patriot, it was Mrs Cox who was the true patriot.

In a statement later published on Twitter, he added: “We hope the country will take something from this”.

Mr Justice Wilkie said Mrs Cox’s death had been “both a personal tragedy” and a crime with “great public significance”. “But in the history of such acts it was perhaps the most incompetent and self-defeating: an act driven by hatred which instead created an outpouring of love”. Cox was a vocal supporter of the United Kingdom remaining in the European Union and, during testimony, it became clear that Mair was motivated, in part, by political ideology.

“Our thoughts are with Jo Cox’s family, who attended the court hearing and have behaved with real strength and dignity throughout”.

During today’s proceedings, the slain Labour lawmaker’s husband, Brendan Cox, said their family was not motivated by retribution.

“Let’s love like Jo and not let her vile, pitiful killer define how we remember her or live our lives”.

Inside the court Mr Cox paid tribute to the jury and apologised to them for having to “go through” the trial.