A young student was killed with a stab to the neck as he sat ‘smiling and chatting’ with friends outside an accommodation block in Cambridge, a court heard today.
Mohammed Algasim, 20, is said to have been approached by Chas Corrigan, 22, who a jury was told had been drinking in a nearby pub and may have taken drugs.
Corrigan allegedly spoke to Mr Algasim, who was sitting on a low wall, before walking away.
Mr Algasim uttered something, the jury was told, although a witness could only hear the word ‘centre’ and Corrigan returned and started shouting ‘What did you say?’ in an ‘angry and aggressive way’.
The prosecution says Saudi Arabian national Mr Algasim then stood up and moments later the defendant produced a large knife from his pocket and stabbed him.
Corrigan then ran away, while his alleged victim collapsed in the street.
Describing the alleged attack in his opening statement today, prosecutor Nicholas Hearn said: ‘What none of that group know is that at the same time, a short distance away, a young man named Chas Corrigan is leaving the Early of Derby pub after an evening of drinking and using drugs.
‘He has a kitchen knife in his shorts pocket and, in a few moments’ time, after a short verbal altercation with Mr Algasim (a man he has never previously met) he will use that kitchen knife to stab Mr Algasim forcefully to the neck, fatally wounding him.’
Mohammed Algasim, 20, was pronounced dead outside a block of luxury apartments in Cambridge just after midnight on August 2
Chas Corrigan, 21, denies murdering the student who was attending a language school in the historic city
Floral tributes were left in the street near where Saudi Arabian national Mr Algasim died
Jurors at Cambridge Crown Court were told that much of the case would rely on CCTV, including footage of the alleged incident itself.
Mr Hearn added: ‘There will be footage that established the defendant’s movements before and after the incident.
‘But most significantly, the stabbing itself was captured by a high-quality CCTV camera positioned outside the student accommodation.
‘You will, I’m afraid, have to watch that footage many times during the course of this trial.’
Mr Algasim was sitting outside the student accommodation near the city centre late on the night of August 1 last year, the jury was told.
Witnesses described how a man in a high-visibility jacket then approached Mr Algasim.
Describing the alleged attack, another student, Abdullah Saleh A Bin Shuail, said how the victim was sitting on the low wall outside the accommodation block.
The defendant approached and ‘went over to Mr Algasim and got within touching distance of him’.
Corrigan allegedly said something but he couldn’t hear what was said and ‘could not hear whether Mr Algasim said anything in reply’.
The defendant then walked towards the train station and Mr Algasim said ‘something to the defendant but [he] could only make out one word – ‘centre’.
Mr Heard told the court: ‘The defendant turned and started to come back towards them… his right hand was in his right pocket…
‘He was saying “What did you say? What did you say?” in a very angry and aggressive way.’
Jurors at Cambridge Crown Court were told that much of the case would rely on CCTV, including footage of the alleged incident itself. Pictured: Chas Corrigan, 22, who denies murdering Mohammed Algasim, 20
Mr Algasim is said to have been approached by Corrigan who a jury was told had been drinking in a nearby pub and may have taken drugs. Pictured: Corrigan who denies murdering Mr Algasim
Corrigan allegedly spoke to Mr Algasim, who was sitting on a low wall, before walking away. Pictured: Corrigan who denies murdering Mr Algasim
Mr Algasim is said to have stayed where he was and the defendant shouted: ‘I know what that means’ before he bent down and ‘put his face very close to Mr Algasim’s face’.
The prosecution say Mr Algasim then stood up and the defendant stepped back.
‘They seemed to separate, Mr Bin Shuail did not see what caused this to happen but assumed one of them must have pushed the other,’ Mr Heard said.
‘He then saw the defendant punch Mr Algasim heard to the left side of the neck. He then saw that the defendant was holding a large knife in his right hand.’
Corrigan allegedly shouted at Mr Bin Shuail ‘What you do, what you do’ before running away, as his victim collapsed further up the street after having run away.
The court heard that the defendant had earlier shown a knife to Stephen Papillon, who was also at the pub, although he thought it was for ‘self-defence’ as the defendant mentioned ‘he had been shot and stabbed before’.
Mr Papillon described how Corrigan, who was on his own but going up to people to speak to them, had been drinking but was ‘over-friendly’ rather than ‘badly behaved’.
The trial continues.
