Jury delivers guilty verdict in trial of Jo Cox murder accused Thomas Mair
Thomas Mair has been found guilty of the murder of Jo Cox MP.
Cox died in June after being shot and stabbed outside a library in Birstall where she held her weekly advice surgeries for her constituency of Batley and Spen.
The mother of two became an MP in May 2015.
Mair, a 52-year-old local man, was arrested immediately after the attack and charged with Cox's murder.
A not guilty plea was recorded for Mair after he refused to respond when asked for his plea at the Old Bailey.
As well as being accused of murder, Mair faced charges of possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence, possession of an offensive weapon – a dagger – and grievous bodily harm to a passerby, Bernard Kenny, who tried to save Cox.
He was found guilty on all four counts.
“Jo Cox believed passionately that all people can achieve their full potential given the opportunity," said Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
"Her murder was an attack on democracy, and has robbed the world of an ambassador of kindness and compassion.
“Jo’s values were lived out in her last moments, when she bravely put the safety of her staff before her own. Jo is someone the Labour Party will forever be extremely proud of. The single biggest tribute we can pay to Jo and her life will be to confront those who wish to promote the hatred and division that led to her murder.
“Jo was a loving mother and wife. I hope that the verdict has delivered some sense of justice to those grieving, particularly Jo’s family, who all of our thoughts are with at this time.”