Saudi student Mohammed Al-Qasim ‘stabbed by stranger on drink, drugs,’ UK court hears

Mohammed Al-Qasim, 20, a Saudi student studying at a language school in Cambridge, died after he was stabbed in August last year. (Cambridgeshire Police)
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Updated 17 February 2026
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Saudi student Mohammed Al-Qasim ‘stabbed by stranger on drink, drugs,’ UK court hears

  • 20-year-old ‘posed no threat to anybody’ when he was attacked in Cambridge last year
  • Jurors watch CCTV video of attack by man in high-vis jacket, BBC reports

LONDON: Saudi student Mohammed Al-Qasim died after being stabbed in Cambridge by a stranger who had been drinking and using drugs, prosecutors told a court in the UK city on Tuesday.

According to a BBC News website report of the trial at Cambridge Crown Court, prosecutor Nicholas Hearn said that the 20-year-old was sitting outside student accommodation on Aug. 1 last year when he was stabbed in the neck with a kitchen knife by Chas Corrigan.

CCTV cameras had recorded the attack along with Corrigan’s actions before and after the incident, he said.

Al-Qasim, a University of Jeddah student who had traveled to the UK to study at a language school during the summer, died just after midnight on Aug. 2.

Jurors watched CCTV video footage of the attack, which showed Al-Qasim running away after a confrontation with a man in a yellow high-vis jacket, the BBC report said.

The footage showed Corrigan, who was wearing the jacket, stabbing Al-Qasim, Hearn said.

“The reality is that, in this case, the footage speaks for itself,” he told the jurors.

Hearn said that Corrigan, 22, from Cambridge, had admitted being in possession of a knife at the time but denied murdering Al-Qasim.

Hearn said there was evidence that Corrigan had been drinking and taking drugs before the stabbing and had been “behaving crazily” in a pub.

“Mr Al-Qasim posed no threat to anybody. He was a student who had come to Cambridge to study from Saudi Arabia,” the lawyer said.

Hearn added that “the defendant was the aggressor here,” and that Al-Qasim had never met Corrigan.

Jane Osborne KC, Corrigan’s defense lawyer, said that her client had admitted he was the man in the CCTV video and that he had been carrying the knife, but had “no intention of using that knife,” the BBC report said.

Corrigan had aimed to wave the knife between himself and Al-Qasim, she said.

Corrigan denies murdering Al-Qasim and his trial is expected to last about two weeks.


Ramadan in Madinah: A blend of tradition and modernity

Updated 21 February 2026
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Ramadan in Madinah: A blend of tradition and modernity

  • Ramadan iftar tables in the neighborhoods have evolved into a community initiative that promotes solidarity and neighborliness

MADINAH: In the holy city of Madinah, Ramadan highlights a seamless blend of ancestral traditions and modern celebrations, as residents decorate homes and streets with lanterns.

Women play a central role in creating this spiritual atmosphere, transitioning from handmade ornaments to curated prayer spaces and Ramadan diaries for children.

Social solidarity remains the city’ cornerstone, manifested through the exchange of Ramadan baskets and the organization of massive communal iftar meals at the Prophet’s Mosque and in local neighborhoods.

Ramadan iftar tables in the neighborhoods have evolved into a community initiative that promotes solidarity and neighborliness.

The project has been undertaken by “Mujtamaei,” the Neighborhood Centers Association in Madinah Region, in partnership with the Madinah Regional Municipality, and covers 97 locations across residential districts.

The initiative organizes daily iftar gatherings that bring together residents, volunteers, and partner entities, reflecting strong community cohesion and fostering volunteerism and social connection among neighborhood residents and visitors during the holy month.

The program provides more than 80,000 iftar and sahoor meals, benefiting over 40,000 individuals, with 1,600 volunteers overseeing site organization and service delivery in accordance with quality and safety standards.

The project is part of a community development system that expands annually, focusing on increasing volunteer participation and strengthening partnerships, thereby reinforcing social values and revitalizing the spirit of neighborliness in Madinah.