Statement following Ahmed Ali Alid guilty verdict

Ahmed Ali Alid has today been found guilty at Teesside Crown Court.

In response to the verdict, Deputy Chief Constable of Cleveland Police, Victoria Fuller said:

“The shocking events in Hartlepool on 15 October 2023, which led to the tragic death of 70-year-old Terence Carney, shook the local community to its core.

“Alid’s actions not only left a family devastated, but also caused significant fear and distress amongst residents in Hartlepool and beyond.

“Following the initial response from Cleveland Police Officers, the force has supported Counter Terrorism Policing North East throughout their investigation.

“I would like to publicly thank the Cleveland Police officers who were involved in this incident for their swift and brave actions.  They undoubtedly prevented harm being caused to other potential victims due to their fast response and professionalism.  This is a further reminder that our officers find themselves in potentially dangerous situations every day, all while doing their job.

“I am incredibly proud of our professional firearms officers who train for such eventualities; hoping they never have to put their training into practice in such sad situations.

“Today’s guilty verdict goes some way to seeing justice be served to those affected by this terrible incident.

“Mr Carney’s family have released a statement thanking those who have supported the family during the last six months.  They also say:

“We would especially like to thank Mr Javid Nouri, Mr Ariyan Karimi and Mr Mohammed Karimi. What they themselves endured was truly horrific, they believed they too were going to die. Despite this, they fully assisted the police with their enquiries and gave their evidence in court, which is testament to their characters.

These three men were the voice of our loved one, when he was unable to speak out for himself. For this we will forever be grateful to them.

We have watched the whole trial intently, and whilst today’s guilty verdict will not bring back Terence our beloved husband, father and grandfather, we can take some small comfort in knowing that justice has been served.

We would now like the time to grieve for him privately.”

“On behalf of Cleveland Police I would like to pay tribute to Mr Carney’s family who have shown such dignity and self-respect throughout.  Our heartfelt sympathies are with them.

“I would also like to acknowledge the bravery of Mr Javid Nouri who has fully supported the investigation.

“Local Neighbourhood Policing Teams in Hartlepool will continue to engage with partner agencies and local community groups and will be in the area to provide reassurance to the local community and be a point of contact should anyone have any concerns.”