'Place of worship has been defiled!' Church Reverend despairs after David Amess murder
AN EMOTIONAL Reverend of the Belfairs Methodist Church where Sir David Amess was murdered has claimed the place of worship "has been defiled".
David Amess: Reverend of church says it has been ‘defiled’
An 'emotional' Rev. Clifford Newman has said that the church where Sir David Amess was killed "has been defiled". He despaired at the thought that a murder of an MP had taken place "in a place of sanctuary, of worship". Sir David, Conservative MP for Southend West since 1983, was stabbed multiple times as he held a regular Friday meeting with constituents at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea.
Speaking to GB News, Reverend Newman expressed his sympathy to members of the Belfairs Methodist Church.
He said: "Foremost, my thoughts are with his family.
"We talk about an MP and what he does but more importantly he is a father, he is a husband to Julia, and my thoughts and prayers go out to them because this will be devastating.
"Also my thoughts and prayers are with the church members because this place is a place of sanctuary, it is where they come to worship."
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Reverend Newman continued: "And it is now a place that has been defiled. So my thoughts go out to them as well because this will take some time for them to come to terms with.
"There is very little I can say, I just feel very emotional about it all.
"Violence never solved anything. I just hope something good can come of it."
Sir David was stabbed at least 17 times while meeting constituents five and a half years after Labour MP Jo Cox was killed by a far-right extremist.
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer both laid flowers at the scene together of the murder on Saturday morning.
Some MPs on Saturday called for a review of safety procedures before resuming meetings with constituents.
Home Secretary Priti Patel told broadcasters: "We are open to surgeries, doing our job. We will continue to do that."