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ONE PAPER ... ALL THE NEWS from Dewsbury, Batley, Ossett, Mirfield, Liversedge, Birstall, Heckmondwike, Cleckheaton & Spen Valley
Friday November 25, 2016
12 MONTHS GUARANTEE
No. 765
AN EVIL COWARD Sullen, silenced Mair will perish in jail as Jo’s memory lives on DANNY LOCKWOOD reports from the Old Bailey PATHETIC and insignificant man, Thomas Mair was destined to die in jail from the moment his amateurish efforts to escape the scene of his brutal murder of Jo Cox were thwarted. Mair was quickly exposed as a silent, brooding racist who fooled the few people who had ever been close to him. The only serious question before the Old Bailey court that would try him as a de facto terrorist, was whether Mair would ever actually open his mouth and attempt to explain his actions. When he had chance, he
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refused. At the end of the trial when his barrister requested that he be allowed to make a public statement, it was denied. Since his first public court appearance at Westminster Magistrates when he gave his name as “Death to traitors, freedom for Britain” he has spoken only to confirm that he is Thomas Mair, 53, of Lowood Lane, Birstall. The jury went out to consider the four counts against him at 10.52am on Wednesday and informed the court it had reached a unanimous decision at 12.19pm. Ten minutes later the foreman pronounced Mair guilty. As the judge prepared to pronounce sentence, West Yorkshire Police were continuing their quest to find a suspected accomplice who provided Mair with the murder
weapon, a .22 rifle stolen from a 4x4 vehicle in Keighley 10 months ago. The police believe he got the gun just weeks before the attack – and that it was only then he started formulating a political assassination. They do not think Mair stole the sawn-off gun himself. Such drama as remained came after a touching, eloquent victim statement from Bernard Kenny was read to the court, and Jo’s husband Brendan Cox had taken to the witness stand to pour scorn on Mair’s “act of supreme cowardice. Cowardice that has continued throughout this trial”. For the first time since the trial began 10 days before, Mair actually returned someone’s stare, looking directly back at Mr Cox. At that point his barrister,
Mr Simon Russell-Flint, told the court the defence had no submissions to make but asked if Mair could make a public statement before sentence was passed. He said Mair’s speech “would be sentences, not paragraphs”. The Honourable Mr Justice Wilkie replied: “Mr Mair had his opportunity (to give evidence) and he declined … I am not inclined to give him the opportunity to make a speech.” Having cruelly and cynically made Jo Cox’s family repeatedly re-live her horrific final moments in graphic detail over seven days of testimony, Mair was finally being put in his place.
Continued on page 3 Background, judge’s verdict and Brendan Cox statement, p3/4/5 Questions remain – Ed Lines, p6
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