Jo Cox’s murderer Thomas Mair was given £75,000 of legal aid for trial – where he refused to give evidence
NEO-Nazi Thomas Mair was given £75,000 of taxpayer-funded legal aid to fight his trial for murdering MP Jo Cox - where he REFUSED to give any defence.
The Sun can today reveal the sickening fortune the monster, 53, was bankrolled from the public purse for his harrowing court case for killing the mum-of-two.
White supremacist Mair was standing trial for repeatedly stabbing and shooting Jo in his savage attack last year as he yelled "Britain first".
His legal aid funded a team of two top lawyers at trial, led by the highly-respected Simon Russell Flint QC.
The hand-out for the remorseless killer, who rolled his eyes as tributes to Jo were made, are bound to spark debate on the aid system.
The sickening figures were obtained by The Sun following a Freedom Of Information Act request.
They show £40,152 went on solictors' costs, £27,234 on Barrister costs and £7,763 on disbursements. It meant taxpayers stumped up a total of £75,150.44.
Mair’s trial started on November 14 last year and had been expected to last over two weeks, with a question hanging over whether he would give evidence.
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But as the defence was due to start his lawyer told the court "We call no evidence on behalf of Mr Mair".
When Judge Andrew Wilkie said the jury may make an inference from the fact, he replied: ";My client is aware of that".
Even during the prosecution case there was hardly any cross-examining by Mair's lawyer.
The only time he spoke at length was a closing speech and a few moments after he was convicted when he asked the court on behalf of the killer if he could say some words. The judge refused.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: "Anyone facing a Crown Court trial is eligible for legal aid, subject to a strict means test.
"Applicants that meet the relevant means thresholds may still be required to pay a significant contribution to the costs of their defence.
“The Government has cut the fees paid to lawyers in criminal legal aid cases to ensure legal aid represents better value for the taxpayer.”