Life Sentence for Cambridge Killer Who Fatally Stabbed Saudi Arabian Student

A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the “unprovoked and senseless” murder of a Saudi Arabian student in Cambridge.

Mohammed Algasim, 20, was stabbed in the neck outside student accommodation near Cambridge rail station in August 2025.

Prosecutors said construction worker Chas Corrigan, of Holbrook Road, Cambridge, attacked Algasim with a kitchen knife after “an evening of drinking and taking drugs”.

At Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday, Corrigan was sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to serve a minimum term of 22 years and six months after previously being found guilty of murder.

Corrigan’s father, Peter Corrigan, 50, was also jailed for two years after pleading guilty to assisting an offender by concealing the high-visibility clothing his son had been wearing at the time of the attack.

Jurors heard that Algasim had been studying at a language school and was sitting with friends near Cambridge rail station when the attack took place.

Corrigan, who was 21 at the time, said he had been carrying a kitchen knife for protection because he had previously been attacked.

He told the court he did not know anyone in the group and believed he had initially approached them to ask for a lighter.

Corrigan said he turned around and walked back towards the group after hearing “shouting” and believing someone was “asking him something”.

He said Algasim then stood up before the stabbing occurred.

CCTV footage shown to jurors captured the attack and showed Corrigan, wearing a high-visibility top, approaching Algasim’s group.

Corrigan, who denied murder but admitted possessing a bladed article, told jurors he had waved the knife to frighten people rather than injure anyone.

He said he had been walking towards the station after drinking at the Earl of Derby pub.

Corrigan told the court he had consumed about six pints of Guinness, one or two gin and tonics, several vodka-based drinks, and had also taken cocaine.

A jury at Cambridge Crown Court found Corrigan guilty earlier this year after deliberating for two hours.

On the first day of the two-day sentencing hearing, Algasim’s father, Yousef Al Qasim, told Mr Justice Dias: “Instead of witnessing his achievements, I was confronted with the unbearable reality of receiving his lifeless body.”

The judge also heard statements from Algasim’s sister, Shatha Al Qasim, on Wednesday. Both statements were read to the court by a family member.

Peter Corrigan, of Vinter Terrace, Cambridge, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty in September to assisting an offender.

Cambridgeshire Police said CCTV footage showed the 51-year-old at 09:04 BST on 2 August removing his son’s blood-stained jacket from bushes in Vinter Terrace and placing it in a wheelie bin.

Police also said he helped his son evade arrest by assisting him in hiding at the Holbrook Road property.

Cheryl Williams, Crown Advocate, said: “Chas Corrigan claimed he acted in self-defence, but the evidence clearly showed this was not the case.

“Our case was built on a strong combination of CCTV footage, including images of the attack itself, eyewitness testimony and pathology evidence.

“This was a fatal and cruel act of violence which has had a devastating impact on Mohammed Algasim’s family and friends.

“Nothing can undo their loss, but I hope today’s sentence provides some measure of justice.”

Detective Chief Inspector Dale Mepstead, who led the investigation, said: “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of Chas Corrigan’s actions.

“Mohammed was a young man with his whole life ahead of him, and his death has had a profound impact on all who knew him.

“Our thoughts continue to be with his family and friends as they come to terms with this tragic loss.”

Following the trial, Algasim’s family said: “This has been a very difficult journey for our family. Losing Mohammed has left a deep void in our lives.

“Whilst nothing can bring him back, today’s verdict recognises the seriousness and brutality of how his life was taken.”

 

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