British woman found guilty of stabbing MP Stephen Timms

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British woman found guilty of stabbing MP Stephen Timms

2010-11-02 19:28:30 GMT+7 (ICT)

LONDON (BNO NEWS) -- A 21-year-old British woman who stabbed a Member of Parliament earlier this year for voting in favor of the Iraq war was found guilty of attempted murder on Tuesday, Scotland Yard said.

Roshonara Choudhry was found guilty of stabbing East Ham MP Stephen Timms twice in the stomach at his constituency surgery at The Globe community center in east London on May 14.

"Stephen Timms was carrying out his constituency duties as a democratically elected Member of Parliament," said Metropolitan Police Service Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Osborne. "He was extremely fortunate not to have been killed. Mr Timms, like all MPs, are entitled to fulfil their role without fear of violence. There can never be any justification for anyone carrying out such an attack."

The Old Bailey jury heard that Choudhry arrived at the community centre at about 2.45 p.m. local time on May 14. She spoke to a security guard in charge of the list of appointments for Timms and was asked to wait.

Timms arrived shortly afterwards, but when he left the room Choudhry asked the security guard where Timms had gone.

Timms returned to the room. Initially the security guard told Choudhry she could see the MP, but he then remembered that another woman had an appointment ahead of her.

When the other woman got up to leave at about 3.10 p.m., Choudhry moved around a desk towards Timms who thought she was coming to shake his hand, and he put his hand out accordingly.

Choudhry held out her left hand. In her right hand she was holding a kitchen knife with an approximate three-inch blade, hidden inside her bag or clothing.

She stabbed Mr Timms in the stomach, after which Timms said: 'What are you doing?' while trying to stop her. She then stabbed him in the stomach again before being restrained by the security guard. Timms's assistant took the knife away from Choudhry.

Police arrived at the community centre and arrested Choudhry before recovering from her bag a black-handled knife with a five-inch blade wrapped in a red towel.

Timms was taken to the Royal London Hospital and had surgery on two small lacerations to part of his liver and a small perforation of his stomach. His injuries were significant, but not immediately life threatening.

When interviewed by police, Choudhry said she stabbed Timms because he voted for the Iraq war and she wanted to achieve 'punishment' and 'to get revenge for the people of Iraq'.

Choudhry, who does not recognize the jurisdiction of the court and refused to attend her trial, will be sentenced on Wednesday.

Timms entered Parliament in 1994 as Labour's MP for Newham North East. He was re-elected to the new constituency of East Ham in May 1997.

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