‘Loving mum’, 34, butchered to death on beach ‘by criminology student, 20, who researched murders before random attack’
A "LOVING" mum and her friend were butchered on Bournemouth beach in a "savage and random attack", a court has heard.
Criminology student Nasen Saadi, 20, researched methods of murder before allegedly stabbing Amie Gray, 34, to death at Durley Chine Beach in May.
Amie and her pal Leanne Miles had been chatting next to a fire to keep warm when they were allegedly targeted at random by Saadi.
Saadi is standing trial at Winchester Crown Court charged with her murder.
He is also charged with the attempted murder of Leanne at the same location.
The court today heard Saadi, who was studying at Greewich, had researched the murder of Brianna Ghey and her killers.
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He had also been asked by one of his lecturers: "You’re not planning a murder are you?"
It came after he had asked his lecturers a series of questions about defences for murder.
Saadi would also ask questions unrelated to the subject of the lesson. including self-defence justification for murder, DNA analysis and other forensic evidence, the court heard.
Sarah Jones KC, prosecuting, told the court: "Nasen Saadi, as he walked along that promenade and thought about the culmination of a plan he had worked on for who knows how long but which he had spent the last couple of nights walking through and researching.
"Nothing fine or glorious in his plans I’m afraid, nothing of self-improvement or to benefit anyone else.
"This defendant seems to have wanted to know what it would be like to take life, perhaps he wanted to know what it would be like to make women feel afraid, perhaps he thought it would make him feel powerful, make him interesting to others.
"Perhaps he just couldn’t bear to see people engaged in a happy normal social interaction and he decided to lash out, to hurt, to butcher."
The prosecutor added: "With purpose, slowly, stealthily and quietly, when he thought no-one would observe him, he hovered at the edges of the promenade, then stepped on to the sand, and walked directly towards the two women with a knife in his hand.
"In an act horrifying in its savagery and in its randomness he stabbed them both multiple times, chasing after them as they tried to escape or divert him from the other and he continued his attack.
"He left them on the sand to bleed to death whilst he moved away and tried to disappear back into the shadows, away from the glare of the streetlights or the moonlight and back into anonymity.
"He got rid of his weapon. He changed his clothes and shoes and got rid of them."
Saadi is also said to have research knives online before purchasing some.
In March, he also researched "why is it harder for a killer to be caught if he does it in another town" and "which is the deadliest knife".
He also looked up Bournemouth beach, how many people visited, whether it was open at night and which hotels did not have CCTV cameras, the court heard.
Saadi stayed at a Travelodge hotel from May 21 and the nearby Silver How Guest house two days later.
The night before the alleged attack, Saadi is said to have gone to see the movie The Strangers, in which both the male and female leads are stabbed.
On the night of the alleged stabbing, Saadi walked at night along the promenade to Durley Chine, jurors were told.
Amie's wife Sian Gray and their daughter previously paid tribute to her by sprinkling rose petals in the sea.
In a tribute released by police, she said: "Words cannot describe the pain that we feel. Amie was the most loving wife and mother.
“Her giggly laugh and big smile will be hard to be without. A larger than life character. I will miss you immensely my love. To the moon and back, forever and always."
Amie's mum Sharon Macklin said: “As a family we are devastated to have lost one of the most amazing, funny, kind and energetic souls.
“When Amie entered a room it filled with laughter and her presence could not be ignored.
“She was beautiful inside and out and there are no words that can express how empty our lives will be without her.
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“We will miss her so much and our hearts are forever broken.”
The trial continues.
