Man guilty of murdering Saudi Arabian student in Cambridge

Man guilty of murdering Saudi Arabian student in Cambridge

A construction worker has been convicted of the murder of Mohammed Algasim, a 20-year-old Saudi Arabian student attending a language summer school in Cambridge. The fatal stabbing took place near student accommodation close to the city’s main railway station shortly before 11:30 pm on August 1, 2025. Algasim was attacked while sitting with friends, receiving a fatal wound to his neck.

The court heard that Chas Corrigan, the accused, launched the attack using a kitchen knife after an evening involving alcohol consumption and drug use. Corrigan, aged 22 and from Holbrook Road in Cambridge, denied the charge of murder but acknowledged possessing a bladed weapon. Speaking at Cambridge Crown Court, he claimed the knife was only brandished to intimidate and not to cause injury. The jury reached their guilty verdict within two hours of deliberations. Notably, Corrigan showed no visible emotion as the decision was announced.

During the trial, prosecutors presented CCTV footage capturing the sequence of events leading to the stabbing. The video showed Corrigan, identifiable by a high-visibility top, approaching Algasim’s group, engaging in brief conversation, then stepping away before returning and confronting the students. Corrigan described his state at the time as “merry” but not drunk, having consumed around six pints of Guinness, some gin and tonics, vodka-based drinks, and having taken cocaine twice. He also explained carrying a kitchen knife for protection due to prior assaults.

Corrigan recounted that he initially believed he approached the group to ask for a lighter and could not recall the exact words exchanged. After hearing shouting, he turned back, thinking he was being addressed. He stated, “He just startled me,” referring to Algasim getting up suddenly. Corrigan said he felt threatened, so he pulled out the knife to scare Algasim away and did not realize the attack had caused any injury. The stabbing led to Algasim running before collapsing, and Corrigan fled the scene, assuming he had merely frightened him.

Medical testimony detailed the extent of the injuries sustained by Algasim, with the pathologist reporting an 11.5cm-deep neck wound that severed a vital artery. The prosecution confirmed Algasim died within an hour of the attack. Officials discovered a high-visibility hooded sweatshirt and the silver kitchen knife with a 13cm blade used in the assault nearby in a brambled area on Vinter Terrace. Corrigan’s father, Peter, who resides locally, has admitted to assisting an offender and awaits sentencing. The EF International Language Campus, the institution where Algasim studied, expressed deep sorrow over the student’s death

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