Man accused of killing summer school student in Cambridge was ‘using dr*gs’

A man accused if murdering a Saudi Arabian summer school student in Cambridge was reportedly “spaced” out on the night of the death.

Mohammed Algasim, who was studying at EF International Language school, was fatally stabbed by a stranger last August.

Chas Corrigan is currently on trial at Cambridge Crown Court for murdering the 20-year-old. He has denied the charges.

Prosecution lawyer Nicholas Hearn showed jurors CCTV footage of the incident. He said the footage, which would have to be watched “many, many times during the course of this trial”, showed Corrigan stabbing Algasim.

Hearn also said there was evidence that Corrigan had been under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and that the pair had never met prior to the incident.

He claimed Algasim and Corrigan had never met prior to the incident. “Mr Algasim posed no threat to anybody.” “He was a student who had come to Cambridge to study from Saudi Arabia.”

Defence lawyer Jane Osbourne said Corrigan admitted to being the man in the CCTV footage and to carrying a knife. However, she said he claimed to have had “no intention of using that knife”.

 “He had it with him, so in the event he was attacked, as he has been in the past, he could use it to scare off attackers”.

“He thought he was imminently going to be attacked so he produced the knife,” she said. “Having produced the knife, Mr Corrigan had no intention of using it to cause Mr Algasim any harm” and instead “intended to wave it between them.” 

Cambridge Crown Court, via Wikimedia Commons

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Simona Miksykte, a friend of Corrigan’s, described his behaviour as “confrontational” prior to the incident.

She characterised Corrigan’s behaviour as unusual, saying she had “never seen him” behave that way. “He was, like, touchy and pushy.”

“Normally he is not like that. He is not, like, aggressive. He is a good boy. But that night – I don’t know. When I was looking at him, he was, like, spaced out.”

Algasim, who was originally from Saudi Arabia, had been on a 10-week study placement at Cambridge. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 12am on the 2nd August 2025, despite the efforts of paramedics who attended the scene.

Algasim’s family paid tribute to him last August: “Muhammad Yousef Algasim. A young man brimming with enthusiasm, brimming with chivalry and courage. 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.”

The trial is still ongoing. 

Featured image via Cambridgeshire Police and Wikimedia Commons