Cambridge Crown Court hears how Chas Corrigan allegedly stabbed Saudi student Mohammed Algasim during late night confrontation outside accommodation block in Cambridge

What should have been an ordinary late summer evening in Cambridge ended in tragedy when a 20-year-old Saudi student was fatally stabbed outside a high-end accommodation block near the city’s railway station.

The incident, captured on CCTV, is now at the centre of a murder trial that has gripped the university city.

Mohammed Algasim had come to Britain for a language school summer programme.

Friends described him as cheerful and sociable.

In the early hours of August 1 last year, he was sitting on a low wall outside the building, chatting and smiling with other students.

Minutes later, he was bleeding heavily from a single wound to the neck.

The CCTV Footage the Jury Cannot Ignore

Jurors at Cambridge Crown Court have been shown stark security footage.

In it, 22-year-old Chas Corrigan, wearing a yellow high-visibility jacket, approaches a group gathered outside the accommodation block.

The prosecution says Corrigan had already been drinking and using drugs that evening.

The footage shows him reaching into the pocket of his shorts, where he was carrying a knife. Moments later, there is a confrontation.

According to prosecutor Nicholas Hearn, Corrigan was the aggressor.

He told the court that Mr Algasim “posed no threat to anybody” and that the defendant approached him “ready to use” the blade.

The Crown’s case is blunt: this was deliberate and unprovoked.

A Dispute Over Words — and What They Meant

The exchange that led to the fatal moment appears to have been brief and confusing.

Witnesses told police that Corrigan initially walked away after speaking to Mr Algasim, only to return angrily after believing something had been said about him.

One witness, Abdullah Saleh A Bin Shuail, said he could only make out the word “centre” from Mr Algasim as Corrigan headed off toward the station.

But the defendant turned back, shouting repeatedly, “What did you say?” in what was described as an aggressive tone.

CCTV then shows Corrigan bending down, bringing his face close to Mr Algasim’s.

The student stood up. Seconds later, Corrigan struck.

Witnesses initially thought it was a punch — until they saw the knife in his hand.

The Fatal Blow

A post-mortem examination revealed that the single wound severed both the carotid artery and jugular vein.

The injury caused catastrophic blood loss.

Despite managing to run a short distance away, Mr Algasim collapsed.

Screams can be heard in the background of the footage as the horrifying scene unfolded.

A security guard, Brandon Towns, told jurors he rushed to help after hearing the commotion.

Towns said Corrigan shoulder-barged him as he fled the scene.

The Defence Argument: Fear, Not Fury

Corrigan does not deny that he caused Mr Algasim’s death.

But his legal team insists it was not murder.

Jane Osborne KC told the jury her client had carried the knife only to “frighten off an attacker.”

She argued that he had no intention of using it to cause serious harm and believed he was about to be attacked.

The defence has suggested Corrigan’s actions were driven by fear rather than aggression.

Earlier that evening, he reportedly told a fellow drinker at the Earl of Derby pub that he had previously been shot and stabbed, implying he carried the weapon for protection.

The man he spoke to, Stephen Papillon, described Corrigan as “over-friendly” and odd, but not violent.

A Night of Drink and Drugs

However, other testimony paints a more troubling picture.

A friend, Simona Miksykte, said Corrigan had been acting strangely that evening — more than just drunk.

She told the court he was “touchy and pushy” and behaved in a way she did not recognise, including groping her.

She also confirmed she knew him to be a cocaine user and believed he may have taken drugs that night because his behaviour seemed different from previous occasions when he had been intoxicated.

The role of alcohol and drugs could prove crucial.

Courts have long held that voluntary intoxication does not excuse violent crime, but it can complicate arguments about intent.

The Aftermath and Arrest

CCTV footage later showed Corrigan discarding his high-visibility jacket in a nearby street before disappearing into a pedestrianised area.

He was arrested in Cambridge the following day.

During a police interview, he refused to answer questions.

Knife possession is itself a serious offence in England and Wales, particularly amid rising national concern about knife crime.

The government has introduced stricter sentencing guidelines in recent years, especially for carrying blades in public without lawful reason.

Corrigan has admitted possessing the knife.

The jury must now decide whether the fatal stabbing was murder or an act of self-defence.

A Community in Shock

The killing sent shockwaves through Cambridge’s international student community.

The city, known globally for its historic university and relatively low crime rate compared to larger urban centres, is not immune to violent incidents — but such cases remain rare and deeply unsettling.

Mr Algasim’s death also resonated beyond Britain.

Saudi students form a significant part of the UK’s international education sector, often attending language schools and university preparatory courses.

What’s Next?

The trial is ongoing at Cambridge Crown Court.

The jury will hear further evidence, including legal directions on self-defence — specifically whether Corrigan honestly believed he was under threat and whether his response was reasonable and proportionate.

If convicted of murder, Corrigan would face a mandatory life sentence.

If the jury accepts a lesser charge, such as manslaughter, sentencing would follow different guidelines.

For now, the court must carefully weigh CCTV evidence, eyewitness accounts, and the competing narratives of aggression versus fear.

Summary

A late-night confrontation outside a luxury accommodation block in Cambridge ended with the fatal stabbing of Saudi student Mohammed Algasim.

CCTV footage shows Chas Corrigan approaching the group, returning angrily after an exchange of words, and delivering a single blow that severed vital arteries.

Corrigan admits causing the death but claims he acted in self-defence.

Prosecutors argue the attack was deliberate and unprovoked.

With evidence of alcohol and possible drug use, conflicting witness accounts, and stark video footage before them, jurors must now decide whether the killing amounts to murder.