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19th Jun 2016

Accused Jo Cox killer said “death to traitors, freedom for Britain” when asked for his name

Cox was shot dead in her constituency on Thursday

Cathy Donohue

Thomas Mair was charged this weekend with the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox.

When asked for his name at Westminster Magistrates Court on Saturday morning, 53-year-old Mair replied: “My name is death to traitors, freedom for Britain”.

He didn’t answer when asked for his date of birth and address. Mair has been remanded in custody for a bail hearing on Monday (June 20), but given the horrific nature of the charges, bail is not likely.

According to The Telegraph, Mair will face a number of additional charges including grievous bodily harm (GBH), possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a firearm.

In a bid to find out a motive for the murder, police are thought to be investigating links between Mair and neo-Nazi groups with this cited as a “priority line of inquiry”.

The paper also reports that Mair had sought help for depression the night before Jo Cox was killed and was told to come back the next day.

Jo died after she was shot and stabbed a number of times on Thursday afternoon as she made her way to a weekly advice clinic for her constituents.