Roshonara Choudhry convicted for stabbing MP Stephen Timms in London, England

A 21-year-old woman who stabbed an MP as his punishment for voting in favour of the Iraq war was today (2 November) found guilty of attempted murder by a jury at the Old Bailey.

Roshonara Choudhry stabbed East Ham MP Stephen Timms twice in the stomach at his constituency surgery at The Globe community centre in Kingsford Way, Beckton, on 14 May 2010.

Choudhry, who does not recognise the jurisdiction of the court and refused to attend her trial, will be sentenced tomorrow (Wednesday, 3 November 2010).

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Osborne said: "Stephen Timms was carrying out his constituency duties as a democratically elected Member of Parliament. 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 14.45hrs on Friday, 14 May. She spoke to a security guard in charge of the list of appointments for Mr Timms and was asked to wait.

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

Mr 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 15.10hrs Choudhry moved around a desk towards Mr 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. Mr 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. Mr 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.

Mr Timms was taken to the RoyalLondonHospital 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 Mr Timms because he voted for the Iraq war and she wanted to achieve ‘punishment’ and ‘to get revenge for the people of Iraq’