Al-Qaeda man appeals over murder of detective
RUSSELL JACKSON
AN al-Qaeda terrorist appeared in court yesterday to appeal against his conviction for murdering a Special Branch detective.
Kamel Bourgass, a 31-year-old Algerian, went berserk and stabbed Stephen Oake to death when he was cornered in a Manchester flat in 2003.
He was jailed for life for the 40-year-old’s murder at the Old Bailey last year.
Bourgass was flanked by seven officers as he sat in the dock at Woolwich Crown Court, south London, where the Court of Appeal was sitting. His appeal centres on whether the jury at his murder trial should have been told of his involvement in a ricin terror plot.
Yesterday, Bourgass’s counsel, Michel Massih, QC, told the court his involvement in a ricin plot should not have been given as evidence.
Mr Oake’s widow, Lesley, sat just feet away from her husband’s killer in court. The Appeal Court judges, Lord Justice Judge, Mr Justice Curtis and Mr Justice Newman, reserved their judgment.
Detectives believe Bourgass had been planning to smear ricin on the door-handles of cars and buildings in London.
"Mr Oake’s widow, Lesley, sat just feet away from her husband’s killer in court."
Very sad and a very hard thing to do.