Nasen Saadi suddenly went from an “innocent stooge” student to a “Ninja killer” as he murdered Amie Gray in a horrifying attack on Durley Chine Beach in Bournemouth, Dorset
A university lecturer asked a student: “You’re not planning a murder are you?” – before he killed a physical trainer in a machete attack.
Nasen Saadi, 20, was today convicted of the murder of Amie Gray and attempted murder of Leanne Miles after a jury heard he had a warped fascination with knives.
The criminology student took inspiration from “high-profile” murders like that of Brianna Ghey’s and had taken such an “interest” in true crime. A court heard Saadi, a student at Greenwich University, used the name “Ninja Killer” for his Snapchat account and also used the username “NSkills” on his computer.
During the trial, lecturer Dr Lisa-Maria Reiss told Winchester Crown Court Saadi had asked questions on “how to get away with murder” which had led her to ask him: “You’re not planning a murder are you?” There was no suggestion of any wrongdoing on the academic’s part.
But on the evening of May 24, Saadi approached Ms Gray, 34, and Ms Miles, 38, as they chatted on Durley Chine Beach in Bournemouth, Dorset. The thug subjected them to a prolonged attack, which left Ms Miles with 20 injuries and caused the death of Ms Gray, a sports coach, who had 10 knife wounds, including one to the heart.
Saadi won’t be sentenced until March, but the judge warned the young man he faces “an extremely long” term behind bars. Mrs Justice Cutts said: “He is still a young man, not 21 until next week, I have sight of a psychiatric report which shows that he is a man who may have autism spectrum disorder.
“It is unclear if that is the case and if so whether that had any impact on this case. Whatever the impact, any minimum term is going to be extremely long. It’s my duty to find out as much as I can about him especially if it affects culpability before I make that decision. I am going to adjourn sentence in this case until 28th March.”
The court was told Saadi, from Croydon, south London, was “fascinated” with knives and had bought six blades from websites, with several found at his aunt’s house where he was living as well as at his parents’ home.
He booked a four-day stay in Bournemouth in May and, during his stay, the defendant, who is a fan of horror movies, went to the cinema to see “slasher” movie The Strangers – Chapter 1.
Suggesting a motive for the attack, Sarah Jones KC, prosecuting, said: “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.”
In February, an allegation of stalking was made against Saadi, which led the Metropolitan Police to refer itself to the police watchdog over its handling of the incident. In court, Saadi’s lawyers tried to argue that he was an “innocent stooge” and the victim of a case of mistaken identity.
Speaking outside court on Wednesday, Ms Gray’s wife Sian Gray thanked police and the emergency services for helping her and bringing “the justice that she deserves”. She said: “Amie will never be forgotten. She touched the lives of so many. The immense support and love shown by everyone, reflects just that. Amie’s life has been brutally taken but now she can rest in peace. Her strength lives on in all of us.”
