Terrorist Ali Harbi Ali has been handed a whole-life order at the Old Bailey for murdering Conservative MP Sir David Amess.

This means he will never be released from prison.

The homegrown terrorist was found guilty of murder on Monday after a jury deliberated for just 18 minutes.

The judge told 26-year-old Ali: “The defendant has no remorse or shame for what he has done – quite the reverse.

“This is a murder that struck at the heart of democracy.”

He described Sir David’s death as a loss “of national significance”.

The National: A court artist sketch of Ali Harbi Ali (Elizabeth Cook/PA)A court artist sketch of Ali Harbi Ali (Elizabeth Cook/PA)

The 26-year-old carried out the “cold and calculating” murder at the veteran MP’s constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.

He told the Old Bailey trial he had no regrets about the murder, defending his actions by saying Sir David deserved to die as a result of voting in Parliament for airstrikes on Syria in 2014 and 2015.

Ali sent a manifesto on WhatsApp to family and friends seeking to justify his actions around the time of the attack, telling Sir David he was “sorry” before plunging the knife into him, causing the politician to scream.

He died at the scene.

Ali was later apprehended by two police officers armed only with batons and spray.

Essex Police Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow praised his officers’ “astounding bravery” in tackling Ali.

He said: “They’ve basically gone in armed with a stick – something that appears smaller than a deodorant can – to deal with a man that has just committed an absolutely heinous act, still armed with that knife.

“I think it’s an astounding act of bravery.”