A criminology student who asked a university lecturer how to get away with murder has been found guilty of the stabbing death of physical trainer Amie Gray on Bournemouthbeach.
Following a trial Nasen Saadi, 20, from Croydon, south London, was on Wednesday found guilty of the murder of Ms Gray, 34, at Durley Chine Beach, West Undercliff Promenade, on May 24.
Prosecutors posed that Saadi “wanted to know what it would be like to take life” after he became fascinated with murder even asking his criminology lecturer how best to get away with killing.
The jury was shown footage of the fatal attack in which Saadi is seen “loitering” around his two victims before walking on to the sand and attacking them, and he is seen running after one of the women in the prolonged incident.
An audio recording of the attack, which included extended screams from the victims, was also played to the jurors.
Her friend Leanne Miles told police how she had heard Ms Gray scream “get off me” from the dark beach as she tried to escape before Saadi turned on her.
In a statement read out in court, she said: “I didn’t want to look at him. I couldn’t look at him. And I told him, I said, ‘please stop’. I said, ‘please stop, I’ve got children’. And then I think that’s when he started to go, he walked away.”
Home Office pathologist Dr Basil Purdue told the court Ms Gray died as a result of 10 knife wounds in the incident in May, including one to the heart, while Ms Miles suffered 20 knife injuries.
The court heard Saadi was “fascinated” with knives and had bought six blades from websites, with several found at his aunt’s house where he was living as well as at his parents’ home.
Saadi used the name “Ninja Killer” for his Snapchat account and also used the username “NSkills” on his computer.
The student at Greenwich University, who was studying for a degree in criminology and criminal psychology after dropping out of a physical education course, had carried out searches about the Milly Dowler and Brianna Ghey killings.
Lecturer Dr Lisa-Maria Reiss told the court Saadi had asked questions on “how to get away with murder” which had led her to ask him: “You’re not planning a murder are you?”
The court was told Saadi had booked two hotels for a four-night stay in Bournemouth starting May 21 and was shown on CCTV carrying out “recces” of the seafront and the scene of the murder, which happened at about 11.40pm on May 24.
Suggesting a motive for the attack, Sarah Jones KC, prosecuting, said: “This defendant seems to have wanted to know what it would be like to take life, perhaps he wanted to know what it would be like to make women feel afraid, perhaps he thought it would make him feel powerful, make him interesting to others.
“Perhaps he just couldn’t bear to see people engaged in a happy, normal social interaction and he decided to lash out, to hurt, to butcher.”
The defendant, who chose not to give evidence, admitted visiting Bournemouth but denied the offences and had claimed not to be the man shown in the CCTV footage, claiming it was a case of mistaken identity.
He told police in interview that he might have “blacked out” and had no memory of the period that included the attacks.
Saadi told detectives he had been to Bournemouth but had been “annoyed” because it had been raining and he had gone to see the movie The Strangers – Chapter 1, which the court has heard is a “slasher” movie.
He told police he likes horror movies and said of the film: “I think it’s a good one, I think it’s about a killer that kills with no motive.”
He added he had also recently seen the movie Annabelle.
When asked how he felt after watching horror movies, he said: “Nothing, it’s just a movie, it’s just the same if I watched a comedy.”
The defendant also said he felt “useless at the moment because I do not have any income” and he could not afford to go abroad.
But he pleaded guilty to failing to provide his mobile phone’s pin code to police.
Benjamin May, a senior crown prosecutor with CPS Wessex, said: “This was a senseless attack which shocked the people of Bournemouth – and our deepest condolences remain with Amie Gray’s family.
“Though both victims were chosen at random, Nasen Saadi’s unfathomable desire to carry out a murder was backed up by extensive planning – which included going to great lengths to avoid getting caught.
“Now he has been convicted and faces life behind bars, I hope he will be forgotten.
“In contrast, we hope that Amie’s memory will live on; as a much-loved young woman and a pillar of her community, who bravely and selflessly defended her friend in the face of a terrifying attack.
“Our thoughts today are with all those who loved and cherished her, as well as with Leanne Miles, whose ongoing support has helped us deliver justice. We hope she and everyone affected by this tragedy can find some solace in today’s verdict.”