The judge also said Alid’s attack on his housemate had been “an attempt to punish him for converting to Christianity”.
She went on: “Those who genuinely seek refuge in this country will embrace the values we hold dear. These values include respect for the dignity of each person as an individual, with freedom to choose their political opinion without intimidation, and whether to observe a particular faith without fear or oppression.”
Patricia Carney, Mr Carney’s widow, said her husband went out walking early every morning because he enjoyed the peace and quiet on the streets.
In a statement read to the court during the sentencing hearing, Mrs Carney said: “Tess was doing what he had always done and enjoyed doing ? he was taking a walk on a street he believed to be safe and a chance encounter with this man ended his life.”
She said she had been with Mr Carney from a young age and although they had been living separately for a few years, they were “still very much together”.
Life ‘forever changed’
Mrs Carney’s statement added that she could no longer go into town because it was “too painful” to be near the spot where her husband was murdered.
“From that day on, my life would be forever changed. I don’t feel anything anymore,” she said.
Mr Nouri, 31, said that since the attack he did not “trust anyone or anything” and “all thoughts and feelings I had of being in a safe country have gone”.
His statement added: “I would expect to be arrested and killed in my home country for converting to Christianity but I did not expect to be attacked in my sleep here.
“How is it possible for someone to destroy someone’s life because of his religion?”
During his police interview the day after the murder, Alid admitted he had launched his attacks because “Israel had killed innocent children”.
Jonathan Sandiford KC, prosecuting, told the court: “In other words, he said he had committed the attempted murder of Javed Nouri and the murder of Mr Carney in revenge for what he believed to be the killing of children by Israel.
“He swore by Allah that if he had had a machine gun and more weapons, he would have killed more victims.”
Alid admitted Mr Carney was “innocent”, justifying the attack by saying Britain had created the “Zionist entity” of Israel, adding: “They killed children and I killed an old man.”