A 20-year-old criminology student meticulously planned a horrifying and random murder, allegedly to satisfy a morbid curiosity about taking a life in the UK. The accused, Nasen Saadi from Croydon, is charged with the murder of 34-year-old Amie Gray and the attempted murder of 38-year-old Leanne Miles during a gruesome beachside attack in Bournemouth on May 24.
The Winchester Crown Court was told that Saadi spent a month devising his attack. Prosecutor Sarah Jones KC described his actions as "horrifying in their savagery and randomness," stating that Saadi may have sought power, instilled fear, or reacted to others' joy.
"He seems to have wanted to know what it would be like to take life, to make women feel afraid. Perhaps he thought it would make him feel powerful or interesting," Jones told the jury, The Mirror reported.
Jones detailed Saadi’s chilling preparations, which included internet searches for "deadliest knife," "machete," and "what hotels don’t have CCTV." He also attended university lectures where he posed unsettling questions about forensic evidence and self-defence scenarios. A lecturer reportedly joked, "You’re not planning a murder, are you?" to which Saadi gave no response.
On the night of the attack, Saadi, who had booked a Travelodge in Bournemouth, watched The Strangers – Chapter 1, a home invasion film involving violent stabbings. The prosecutor suggested this could have been a source of inspiration for the attack.
The court heard that Amie and Leanne were enjoying a peaceful moment by a fire on Durley Chine Beach when Saadi stealthily approached.
"He hovered at the edges of the promenade before stepping onto the sand," said Jones. Saadi then launched a brutal and frenzied knife attack on the women, chasing them as they tried to escape.
Amie, a football coach from Poole, was pronounced dead at the scene. Leanne survived after suffering multiple stab wounds to her chest and back, telling police the ordeal was "continuous and merciless."
Recalling the horrifying moments, Leanne said, "I ran to the top of the promenade, and I could hear Amie saying, ‘get off me.’ I told him, ‘please stop, I’ve got children,’ and that’s when he started to go."
After the attack, Saadi reportedly disposed of his weapon, changed clothes, and attempted to blend back into anonymity. Jones described these actions as calculated efforts to evade detection.
Saadi has denied charges of murder and attempted murder.
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