The “fanatical” Islamist terrorist accused of murdering Sir David Amess researched “what should a person do if he feels that his death is approaching?” just three days before the attack, the Old Bailey has heard.

       Ali Harbi Ali, who is accused of assassinating the Southend West MP in a vicious knife attack, also looked up the address of a Muslim burial ground just hours before the murder.

       After stabbing Sir David during a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on October 15 last year, the 26-year-old told witnesses he wanted to be shot by police and die as a martyr.

       Taking jurors through a timeline of events in the days leading up to the attack, Tom Little QC said Mr Ali had been carrying out extensive research ahead of the attack, including “how to reduce the agonies of death”.

       On October 12, he logged on to the Islam Question and Answer website with the title: “What should a person do if he feels that his death is approaching?”

       The page also asked: “Are there any signs before a person dies, whether he is a believer or a disbeliever?

       “Are there any specific times for those signs? If it becomes apparent to him that his death is approaching, what should he do?

       “When should we pay attention to these signs if there is such a thing? Is there any way to reduce the agonies of death?”

       Two days later on October 14, Mr Ali looked up the address of the Eternal Gardens Muslim Burial Ground, in Sidcup.

       Earlier, the jury heard how Mr Ali had been planning a terrorist attack for several years, having become radicalised in around 2015.

       The jury heard he had scoped out the home of Michael Gove and the constituency office of Mike Freer MP, before settling on Sir David as his chosen target.

       On September 27, after spotting a Tweet advertising the times and locations of Sir David’s constituency surgeries, Mr Ali emailed the MP's office falsely claiming to be moving to the area.

       In the email, he wrote:

       Believing he was a constituent of Sir David’s, the MP’s office said all the appointments for the next surgery were full but offered him a slot at noon on October 15.

       After travelling by train from his home in Kentish Town, north London, to Leigh-on-Sea on October 15, Mr Ali allegedly stabbed Sir David 21 times in the attack.

       Mr Ali, who was born and brought up in south London, denies one count of preparing to engage in terrorist acts and one count of murder.