A Moroccan asylum seeker told police that he "had killed two adults because Israel has killed innocent children" in Gaza, a court has heard.

Ahmed Alid, 45, is accused of repeatedly stabbing his housemate - who survived the alleged attack - before stabbing Hartlepool pensioner Terrence Carney to death. Mr Carney, 70, was out for an early morning walk on Sunday, October 15, 2023, when a man was captured on CCTV attacking him with a knife.

A jury at Teesside Crown Court was warned of the graphic nature of the CCTV footage, before the court watched Mr Carney trying to run down Tees Street in Hartlepool- after he realised that the man behind him had a knife in his hand. The pensioner was stabbed six times in the chest, abdomen and back. He was able to get a few metres down the road, at 5.36am, before collapsing at the junction of Tees Street and Raby Road.

A post mortem found that the three stab wounds to Mr Carney's chest had damaged his heart, his right lung and liver, causing rapid blood loss, and death. On Tuesday, the court heard that armed police, who were on their way to Alid's house, having received a 999 call, found Mr Carney collapsed on the street. He was pronounced dead a few minutes later.

Ahmed Alid, previously of Wharton Terrace, in Hartlepool, denies murder; attempted murder; and assaulting two police officers.

It is alleged that Alid broke into his housemate's bedroom, and stabbed Javed Nouri, 31, after finding out he was "an apostate" - a person who abandons a religious or political belief or principle. Jonathan Sandiford, prosecuting, told the jury that "tension had been growing" in the shared accommodation, after Alid found out that Mr Nouri was no longer a Muslim, and had converted to Christianity.

Mr Sandiford said that Alid believed, "as an apostate, Mr Nouri deserved to die."

The court heard that the three asylum seekers, who had been housed by the Home Office, found Alid to be "an extreme" Muslim; and they noticed that he had been paying particular attention to the news of Hamas attacking Israel, a week earlier.

"Mr Nouri was bigger and stronger than Alid," Mr Sandiford said, "but the two other housemates were scared of Alid. They said he had taken to carrying a knife with him."

Alid was arrested moments after Mr Carney was found by armed police. Mr Sandiford said that when he was asked why he had attacked Mr Carney, he replied: "It was for the independence of Palestine. Having two dead victims is better than war. We want the brutal Israeli coloniser to depart Palestine."

He went on to say that he had, "...killed two adults because Israel has killed innocent children." Swearing by Allah, Alid said that if he "had a machine gun and more weapons, he would have killed more victims," the court heard.

The jury was told that Alid admitted in his police interview that he stabbed his housemate four to six times with a knife and that he wanted to kill him; before saying that he had stabbed Mr Carney several times.

Mr Sandiford told the court that Alid described Mr Carney as an innocent victim, and then told the police: "They (Israel) have killed children and I have killed an old man. Mr Alid said he was ready for shahada, or martyrdom" Mr Sandiford said, "and that he would have taken more lives, but for his injured hand."

The prosecution said that Alid then became "agitated with his translator" in the police interview room; and that Detective Constable Emily Harvey stood between Alid and the translator.

Alid then stood with his back to the door, before allegedly lunging at the police officer, "putting his arms around her and taking hold of her." Alid's solicitor called 999 from the police interview room, as a second detective pressed the panic button.

The jury were told that the two detectives and Alid "ended up on the floor" allowing police to come into the room and remove the defendant." When he was charged with the murder of Mr Carney, Alid was recorded replying: "The Zionists have killed lots of women and children and I have killed one innocent man. It's about getting Zionist's out of Palestine."

The trial continues.