Killer who cut teen girlfriend's throat in uni halls had "severe" mental health

08 January 2024 , 14:43

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Sabita Thanwani was 19 when she was murdered (Image: PA)

A man who "practically beheaded" his girlfriend and is convicted of killing her had "major" mental health problems and failed to get appropriate help, a court has heard.

Maher Maaroufe, from Tunisia, stabbed City University student Sabita Thanwani, 19, repeatedly in her halls of residence bedroom in Sebastian Street, Clerkenwell, London in March 2022. Police were called to Arbour House in Sebastian Street after a neighbour heard the victim telling Maaroufe to stop, before telling him: "I can't breathe. You're going to kill me." Police found Sabita with a slit throat next to items used to smoke weed. A sock was placed over the room’s smoke alarm. Prosecutor Louis Mably KC said last year that the nature of the wound "showed he had almost beheaded her."

Despite the emergency services' best efforts, Sabita was pronounced dead at the scene. Maaroufe tried to get into another room before leaving the building and was found by police asleep under a tarpaulin in a garden shed and head-butted a police officer while being arrested, the court heard. He had denied it was murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility because of mental health issues, a plea deemed acceptable by prosecutors.

Maaroufe had entered the UK legally some years ago but he was served with a deportation notice as an overstayer on 14 August 2019. He has since applied for asylum but the matter remains unresolved after he admitted manslaughter. Judge Nigel Lickley, KC, is hearing evidence from psychiatrists before he finally hands down the sentence. Dr Frank Farnham, of the North London Forensic Service, told the Old Bailey today [Monday] that Maaroufe had such severe delusion he thought he was the subject of television programmes. He also felt like he was in the afterlife and that people could read his mind. A book belonging to Mr Maaroufe entitled How to Expel Demons was found at the scene.

Dr Farnham addressed the possibility that Maaroufe's psychosis was caused by his cannabis smoking, but conceded that the drugs are unlikely to have "been indicated in the development of the disorder." He continued: "There is no doubt that Mr Maaroufe has a major mental illness.. My own view is that drug-induced psychosis is massively over diagnosed. That is a pretty clear symptom of schizophrenia or a schizoaffective disorder.

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"I formed the view that his mental state had improved in hospital such that he could plead and stand trial." The court also heard that Maaroufe tried to attend an A&E unit at one point but was turned away and not given treatment. The court heard last year that he had no understanding of British healthcare systems, so he slipped through the cracks.

Maher Maaroufe is awaiting sentencing (SWNS)

Before her death, Sabita had complained that Maaroufe was "possessive and controlling", even waiting outside nightclubs she was in to escort her home, the prosecutor said. On the evening before the attack, the pair had met outside a mosque and they spent time in Edgware Road and Oxford Street. Maaroufe was wearing a balaclava that night. Sabita's father Manoj previously said in a statement read to the court by another family member: "This monster stabbed my baby, inflicting as much pain and suffering as he could. He is an evil, sadistic murderer, his actions were calculated to kill her because she rejected him."

Asked whether or not Maaroufe was dependent on cannabis, Dr Farnham said today: "I think the cannabis is voluntary, I don't think he has a cannabis-dependent syndrome. I doubt he would have been using drugs to deliberately make his mental state worse, I don't think that is the case. I think cannabis could have had some effect on aggravating that but I respectfully disagreed that it might have played a part in developing the illness."

Maaroufe appeared in court flanked by four dock officers, wearing a white shirt and blue tie. He earlier admitted manslaughter and assault of an emergency worker by beating Detective Constable James Preston. He denied murder based on diminished responsibility due to his schizoaffective disorder. Maaroufe is due to be sentenced at a later date.

Rachel Hagan