Cambridge Student Fatally Stabbed in Neck After Pub Altercation, Court Hears
A young student was killed with a single stab wound to the neck as he sat smiling and chatting with friends outside an accommodation block in Cambridge, a court heard today. Mohammed Algasim, a 20-year-old Saudi Arabian national attending a language school in the historic city, was pronounced dead just after midnight on August 2 outside a block of luxury apartments.
Alleged Attack Following Evening at Pub
The prosecution told Cambridge Crown Court that Chas Corrigan, 22, had been drinking at the Earl of Derby pub and may have taken drugs before approaching Mr Algasim. Nicholas Hearn, prosecuting, described how Corrigan allegedly had a kitchen knife in his shorts pocket when he left the pub.
'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 Earl of Derby pub after an evening of drinking and using drugs,' Mr Hearn said in his opening statement. '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.'
CCTV Evidence Central to Case
Jurors were told that much of the case would rely on CCTV footage, including high-quality video of the alleged incident itself captured by a 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 Hearn warned the jury.
The footage is said to establish the defendant's movements before and after the incident, with the stabbing itself reportedly captured clearly by the surveillance system.
Witness Account of Fatal Confrontation
The court heard that Mr Algasim was sitting on a low wall outside the student accommodation near Cambridge city centre late on August 1 when he was approached by Corrigan. Witness Abdullah Saleh A Bin Shuail described how the defendant 'went over to Mr Algasim and got within touching distance of him.'
After an initial exchange where Corrigan allegedly said something to Mr Algasim, the defendant walked toward the train station. Mr Algasim then said something in response, with the witness only able to make out the word 'centre.'
Rapid Escalation to Violence
'The defendant turned and started to come back towards them... his right hand was in his right pocket,' Mr Hearn told the court. 'He was saying "What did you say? What did you say?" in a very angry and aggressive way.'
According to the prosecution, Corrigan shouted 'I know what that means' before bending down and putting his face very close to Mr Algasim's face. 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 Hearn continued. 'He then saw the defendant punch Mr Algasim hard to the left side of the neck. He then saw that the defendant was holding a large knife in his right hand.'
Aftermath and Previous Knife Display
Corrigan allegedly shouted at Mr Bin Shuail 'What you do, what you do' before running away. His victim collapsed further up the street after attempting to flee the scene.
The court also heard that Corrigan had earlier shown a knife to Stephen Papillon, who was also at the pub. Mr Papillon thought it was for 'self-defence' as the defendant mentioned 'he had been shot and stabbed before.' He described Corrigan as being 'over-friendly' rather than 'badly behaved' despite having been drinking.
Trial Continues with Denied Charges
Chas Corrigan, now 22, denies murdering Mohammed Algasim. Floral tributes were left in the street near where the Saudi Arabian national died, marking the tragic loss of a young student in the university city. The trial continues at Cambridge Crown Court as prosecutors present their case against the defendant.
