Killer who chased down and stabbed student, 20, to death in random street attack is jailed

A KILLER who chased down and stabbed a student to death in a random street attack has been jailed.

Mohammed Algasim, 20, was sitting on a low wall outside his student accommodation in Cambridge when Chas Corrigan wandered over.

The 22-year-old, who was wearing a hi-vis jacket, was captured speaking to the student before walking off towards the train station.

Corrigan then returned and produced a knife before Mohammed runs away as the killer followed him.

Cambridge Crown Court heard he was then stabbed in the neck by Corrigan.

Chillingly, the pair had never met before the horror attack on August 1 last year.

Corrigan has now been jailed for life with a minimum of 22 years and six months.

The court heard the thug, who had been drinking and taking drugs, was described as “behaving crazily” at a local pub earlier that evening.

Meanwhile, Mohammed, who had come to Cambridge to study from Saudi Arabia, was hanging out with pals outside their student accommodation when he crossed paths with Corrigan.

One of his fellow students, Abdullah Bin Shuail, said Corrigan had said something to Mohammed before he walked away.

Jurors heard the victim then said something back – causing “angry and aggressive” Corrigan to shout out: “What did you say, what did you say?”

Abdullah claimed he then punched Mohammed “hard to the left side of his neck” while holding a “large knife” in his other hand.

Mohammed died of a single stab wound, which cut across the carotid artery and jugular vein “causing massive bleeding”.

Prosecutor Nicholas Hearn said: “Mr Algasim posed no threat to anybody.

“He was a student who had come to Cambridge to study from Saudi Arabia.”

Throughout the trial, Corrigan, claimed he thought Mohammed was “acting aggressively”.

He also said had been carrying a knife to scare off any attackers but insisted he was just planning to “wave” it between him and the victim.

But a jury took less than two hours to find Corrigan guilty of murder.

In a statement, Mohammed’s family said he was a “young man brimming with enthusiasm, brimming with chivalry and courage”.

They added: “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.”