Daughter of Slain MP Sir David Amess Expresses Gratitude for Public Support

Katie Amess, daughter of the late MP Sir David Amess, stated that the widespread public support received from “all sections of society” had rekindled her “faith in humanity”. Sir David, a 69-year-old Conservative Member of Parliament representing Southend West, was fatally stabbed during a constituency surgery held in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on 15 October 2021. Ali Harbi Ali received a conviction for the murder in 2022, resulting in a whole-life prison sentence. Katie Amess mentioned that after her father’s passing, her family was sent thousands of supportive letters. She recounted, “One thing that sticks in my mind is an old man, I don’t even know where he was from, he sent my mum a cheque for £20 so that we could buy some food.” She added, “That touched us so much.” “My mum, of course, sent it back and said ‘I’ll donate this to one of David’s charities for you’.” Earlier in the current week, Ms Amess, an actress residing in California, expressed the necessity of a comprehensive public inquest into her father’s demise. She stated that the family possessed a “lot of questions, and somebody needs to answer them”. A coroner determined in July not to reopen Sir David’s inquest, asserting that there was “no evidential basis” to suggest the attack could have been prevented. When recalling the instant she learned of her father’s murder, Ms Amess remarked: “I have to block out that moment and that day because if I don’t, I’m not sure I could carry on.” She continued, “I guess my world ended on that day. My life as I knew it was over, and it will never be the same again.” One month following Sir David’s murder, a private memorial service took place at St Mary’s Church in Prittlewell. Subsequently, hundreds of individuals gathered along the streets of Southend to honor him as the hearse carrying his casket proceeded. Ms Amess further commented, “I wish my dad was there to see it.” She stated, “The public were just so kind and it’s weird to say but through this tragedy my faith in humanity was restored because [of] the love and the support we received.” “We knew that he was loved but I don’t think we knew how much.” For updates on Essex news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external sites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.