A Moroccan asylum seeker murdered a 'defenceless' pensioner in a rampage motivated by the conflict in Gaza, a court has heard. Ahmed Ali Alid, 45, attempted to kill his housemate, Javed Nouri, a former Muslim who converted to Christianity, because he believed Nouri was an apostate - meaning someone who has abandoned their religion, Teesside Crown Court was told.
Mr Nouri was asked to return to the police station on 13 October, when he was told 'rightly or wrongly the police were of the view that the defendant had committed no offences so advice was given to Mr Nouri on what to do if things developed further', the court was told. At 5am on Sunday 15 October, Mr Nouri was in bed asleep when Alid broke into his bedroom armed with two knives and attacked him, the jury heard.