LONDON: The Saudi Embassy in London said on Monday that it was coordinating with British authorities to discover the full circumstances of an incident in the English city of Cambridge in which a Saudi citizen was fatally stabbed.
Officers responding to reports of violence in the Mill Park area of the city shortly before midnight on Friday found 20-year-old Mohammed Al-Qasim with serious injuries. He died at the scene soon after.
A post-mortem examination is due to take place on Tuesday.
21-year-old Chas Corrigan, from Cambridge, was charged with murder and possession of a knife in a public place and appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Monday, Cambridgeshire Police said.
He has been remanded in custody until a hearing at Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday.
A 50-year-old man, also from the city, who was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender remains in custody, the force added.
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The incident is being treated as an “unprovoked attack,” police also said on Monday. Al-Qasim was studying at a language school in the city on a 10-week placement, they added.
The Saudi embassy said it was following up on an assault on a Saudi citizen that led to his death, and continues to liaise with UK agencies to discover the full circumstances surrounding the incident and to facilitate the repatriation of the victim’s body to Saudi Arabia.
“The embassy and all its staff extend their sincere condolences and sympathy to the family of the deceased,” it added.
In a statement, the family of Al-Qasim said he was a “young man brimming with enthusiasm, brimming with chivalry and courage.”
The family continued: “He was a dutiful son, a loving brother, and the leader of the family in spirit, not in appearance. He was cheerful, chivalrous, pure of heart, quick to give, and passionate about others. Over time, he became the family’s charisma, leaving behind an unforgettable legacy in every gathering. He was his father’s support, his familiar companion, and the assistant to his uncles and maternal uncles. He was the most compassionate person to ever visit a mother’s heart and the closest to his sisters’ embrace.”
