Man guilty of Cambridge Saudi student murder
Mohammed Algasim was fatally stabbed last August
A man has been found guilty of fatally stabbing a 20-year-old language student in Cambridge.
Saudi Arabian student Mohammed Algasim was on a 10-week placement studying English at the city's EF International Language Campus when he was found in Mill Park last summer.
Chas Corrigan had been standing trial at Cambridge Crown Court for more than two weeks, accused of murdering Mr Algasim.
Suspect holding 'large knife' before attack - student
During the trial, jurors saw CCTV footage of an altercation between Mr Algasim and Corrigan outside student accommodation near Cambridge's train station before he was stabbed on the evening of August 1 last year.
In the footage, Corrigan and Mr Algasim - sitting with others in a group - appeared to speak before Corrigan walks away towards the train station.
Prosecutor Nicholas Hearn said a fellow student of Mr Algasim, Abdullah Bin Shuail, gave an account of what happened.
Mr Hearn said Corrigan walked away heading to the station and Mr Bin Shuail said he heard Mr Algasim say something to the defendant but "could only make out one word, 'centre'," Mr Hearn said, before Corrigan turned back round towards the group.
He said Mr Bin Shuail "saw the defendant punch Mr Algasim hard to the left side of his neck" and "then saw that the defendant was holding a large knife in his right hand".
The court heard that Mr Algasim died from a single stab wound to his carotid artery and jugular vein.
Corrigan, 22, told jurors that he would "use cocaine and cannabis, quite often in a week.
"I’d smoke cannabis every day and I had a lot of friends that did cocaine, so it was quite accessible."
Barrister Ruby Shrimpton, prosecuting, said blood and urine sample tests taken around 18 hours after the attack showed Corrigan was taking cocaine and cannabis.
The results also showed Corrigan was drinking, but toxicologists believe it is unclear how much alcohol he had drunk before his arrest.
Mr Hearn said earlier in the evening, Corrigan had displayed a knife to Stephen Papillon at the Earl of Derby pub, and that Corrigan was "simply showing off."
Asked by defence barrister Jane Osborne KC why he chose to take a knife to the pub, Corrigan said he had "bad issues with people in that area".
Jurors heard that Corrigan had suffered past injuries to his fingers, leg and shoulder from knife wounds.
Corrigan said he felt Mr Algasim, was "quite aggressive with the way he jumped up at me; I stepped away from him."
Ms Osborne previously told the court Corrigan had no intention of harming Mr Algasim.
'A young man brimming with enthusiasm'
At the time of his death, Mr Algasim's family paid tribute to him.
"(He was) a young man brimming with enthusiasm, brimming with chivalry and courage," they said in a statement.
"He was a dutiful son, a loving brother, and the leader of the family in spirit, not in appearance.
"He was cheerful, chivalrous, pure of heart, quick to give, and passionate about others."
The statement added that over time, Mr Algasim "became the family's charisma, leaving behind an unforgettable legacy in every gathering."