Woman stabbed MP to get revenge for Iraq war, court told

A VEILED woman stabbed an MP twice in the stomach during a constituency surgery in revenge for his vote for the war in Iraq, a court has heard.

Stephen Timms told the Old Bailey he thought Roshonara Choudhry, 21, was coming to shake hands, and she smiled before lunging at him on 14 May this year.

Mr Timms, Labour MP for East Ham, was sent "reeling and staggering" before retreating into the men's toilets at the community centre in Beckton, east London.

His assistant, Andrew Bazeley, prised the kitchen knife away from Choudhry and she was held in a "bear hug" by a security guard until police arrived. Another knife was found in her bag.

Choudhry told detectives she was trying to kill Mr Timms for "punishment" and "to get revenge for the people of Iraq", prosecutor William Boyce, QC, said.

He added: "When asked why she had stabbed him a second time she said 'because I wasn't going to stop stabbing until someone made me'."

Choudhry, who was not in court, is accused of attempted murder and two charges of having an offensive weapon. Jeremy Dein, QC, defending, said she did not recognise the jurisdiction of the court and did not wish her lawyers to challenge evidence put before the jury.

Mr Timms said he had been running slightly late when he arrived at the Beckton Globe community centre for his regular Friday surgery.

Choudhry, who was dressed in black, had made an appointment for 2:45pm, specifically to see him rather than an assistant, and was the second person he saw that day, just after 3pm.

The MP said: "She didn't go and sit down, she continued to come towards me where I was standing to greet her.

"I thought she must have been coming to shake my hand. She made as if she was coming to do that. She looked friendly. She was smiling, if I remember rightly.

"I was a little puzzled because a Muslim woman dressed in that way wouldn't normally be willing to shake a man's hand, still less to take the initiative to do so, but that is what she was doing.

"She lunged at me with her right hand."

Mr Timms pointed at his stomach to show the jury where the knife had gone in.

He said: "I think I knew that I had been stabbed, although I didn't feel anything and I can't recall actually seeing a knife, but I think I said, 'She has a knife' or words to that effect.

"I attempted to push away the second lunge but was not successful."

Mr Timms said he was not certain what had happened straight away. "I retreated into the gents' toilet and lifted up my jumper and realised there was quite a lot of blood there so I realised I had been stabbed."

He said he had since made a full recovery.Nigel Tai, the surgeon who operated on Mr Timms, described the injuries he suffered as "potentially life-threatening".

The prosecution case was closed and Mr Dein said Choudhry, of Central Park Road, East Ham, east London, would not be called to give evidence.

The case was adjourned until today, when the judge said he would sum up.