Man accused of murder had already had two knives and axe confiscated

The parents of a criminology student accused of murdering a personal trainer in a random attack were forced to hide two knives and an axe from him prior to the stabbing, a court heard today.

Nasen Saadi, 20, from Bournemouth, took an interest in ‘deliberately offensive-looking weapons’ in the months preceding the killing of Amie Gray, 34, and had purchased several knives from online retailers, jurors were told.

After the student was arrested, four days after the May 24 attack, a Trespass rucksack was found in his possession which contained white latex gloves, balaclava, a torch, and used wet wipes.

Jurors at Winchester Crown Court, Hants, were told Saadi was arrested at his aunt’s home in Purley, south London, on May 28, at which point police seized a number of items from his ‘large bedroom’.

The court heard that the student - who moved out of his parents address in South Croydon in January - ‘appeared calm’ upon arrest and ‘made no response’ to what was happening.

A number of weapons were seized, including an MTech USA extreme serrated knife in a sheath, a black machete, black handled serrated knife and a black ornamental knife.

Officers also discovered a ‘self defence spray’ in his bedside table, and a blue Trespass rucksack which contained used wet wipes, a packet of tissues, two packets of chillis, and a torch.

Inside the bag was also a black balaclava and white latex gloves which had been turned inside out.

No blood was found on any of his belongings, except for his own in the rucksack.

Saadi’s paternal grandfather, who also lived at his aunt’s address, told police that there was a knife ‘hidden’ in between the wardrobe and wall.

And, Ms Jones KC said the student’s father had also supplied police with two knives and an axe which he had taken from him in the past.

Upon looking at Saadi’s laptop, officers found he used the username ‘NSKills’, and later discovered online usernames including ‘Ninja Kiler’.

Saadi, a criminology student, is accused of using his studies to research ‘how to get away with murder’ before ‘butchering’ Mrs Gray because he wanted to know what it would be like to take a life.

He allegedly took inspiration from ‘high profile’ stabbings like that of Brianna Ghey’s when he carried out the attack, prosecutors said.

It was heard the 20 year had taken such an ‘interest’ in true crime that his lecturer had once asked him ‘You’re not planning a murder are you?’ when he ‘plied’ her with questions on killing, jurors were told.

The student, from south London, used the internet to search for ‘deliberately offensive-looking weapons’ and researched ‘most popular beach for kids UK’ before settling on a location in Bournemouth.

Read More

Criminology student studied how to get away with murder before killing woman on beach, court hears

He also searched ‘What hotels don’t have CCTV in UK’ and ‘can you pay Airbnb with cash’.

And, the student also types ‘why do I have a cold all the time’ and then searched ‘stabbing’ just moments later.

On the evening of May 24, Mrs Gray and her friend Leanne Miles, then 38 had arrived to the beach in the late evening.

Ms Miles, then 38, arrived in a cream coat and dark trousers and she is soon followed by Mrs Gray, who arrived in a navy hoodie.

The pair were sitting beside a fire to keep warm when they saw ‘a shadow of the person’ appear behind them.

Moments later, the killer - who Ms Miles described as a ‘young boy’ - launched at them both and carried out a random attack.

During the ‘horrifyingly savage’ ordeal, Ms Miles begged with him ‘Please stop, I’ve got children’, jurors were told.

During a 999 call, she frantically told police ‘I have been stabbed lots of times’, ‘can you hurry up’, ‘please hurry up’, ‘I am in so much pain’.

The trial heard ‘severe force’ was used to murder Mrs Gray, who suffered ten knife wounds - the most serious being a ‘gaping’ wound to her chest.

It was heard Ms Miles was ‘fortunate’ to survive the attack and her injuries suggested she tried to ‘block’ and ‘ward off’ the student.

She told police in an interview which took place in hospital after the attack that Mrs Gray had ‘saved her life’.

CCTV footage shows Saadi allegedly scope out the beach before the attack as he carried out a ‘recce’ of the area.

Ms Jones JC alleged that before the attack, Saadi ‘loitered’ behind his victims before he ‘pursued’ them.

A photographer selected Saadi out of a parade of 10 suspects in a police identification procedure after allegedly walking past him on the night of the attack.

Saadi has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mrs Gray and attempted murder of Ms Miles.

He has accepted a charge of failing to comply with a notice requirement disclosure. The trial continues.