Jury retires in trial of student accused of Bournemouth beach murder

The jury has retired to consider its verdict in the trial of a student accused of the murder of physical trainer Amie Gray on Bournemouth beach.

Nasen Saadi, 20, from Croydon, south London, denies at Winchester Crown Court the murder of Ms Gray, 34, at Durley Chine Beach, West Undercliff Promenade, on May 24, and the attempted murder of Leanne Miles, 39, at the same location.

The court was told that the two women were attacked as they sat chatting on the beach late in the evening of May 24.

The jury has been shown CCTV footage of a man walking along the seafront before attacking the two.

Saadi, who was studying criminology and criminal psychology at Greenwich University, has admitted to staying in Bournemouth at the time of the attack but has denied being the person shown on the CCTV.

He told police that he could not remember that period of time and said he might have “blacked out”, that his arrest had been a case of “mistaken identity” and he had “no reason to attack someone for no reason”.

The trial has heard that Saadi was interested in true crime, horror movies and knives which he bought on the internet and had called himself “Ninja killer” for his username on Snapchat.

Charles Sherrard KC, defending, said in his speech to the jury: “Nasen Saadi has been an easy investigative target, he made it that by the circumstances and the purchase of those knives but like so many murder mystery thrillers, the obvious candidate often turns out to be an innocent stooge.”

Home Office pathologist Dr Basil Purdue told the court that Ms Gray died as a result of 10 knife wounds including one to the heart while Ms Miles suffered 20 knife injuries.

The court also heard that the defendant has pleaded guilty to failing to provide his mobile phone pin code to police.

The jury was sent home to continue its deliberations on Wednesday.