By Grâçia Ada Obi
A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for the “unprovoked and senseless” murder of a Saudi Arabian student.
Mohammed Algasim, 20, was stabbed in the neck outside student accommodation in Cambridge in August 2025.
Prosecutors said construction worker Chas Corrigan, of Holbrook Road, Cambridge, attacked Algasim with a kitchen knife after “an evening of drinking and using drugs.”
At Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday 4 June 2026, Corrigan was sentenced to life, to serve a minimum term of 22 years and six months in prison after he was found guilty of murder at an earlier trial.
Corrigan’s father, Peter Corrigan, 50, was also jailed for two years after pleading guilty to assisting an offender after concealing high-visibility clothing that his son had been wearing at the time of the attack.
Jurors had heard how Algasim had been studying at a language school and was sitting with friends near Cambridge rail station.
Corrigan, who was 21 at the time, said he was carrying a kitchen knife for protection because he had been attacked in the past.
He said he did not know anyone in the group but thought he had approached to ask for a lighter.
Corrigan said he turned around and walked back to the group because he heard “shouting” and thought he was being “asked something”.
He said Algasim then got to his feet before the stabbing occurred.
The attack, caught on CCTV, was played to jurors during the trial and showed Corrigan, wearing a high-vis top, approach Algasim’s group.
Corrigan, who denied murder but admitted possessing a bladed article, had told jurors that he waved the knife to scare but not injured.
He said he had been walking towards the station after drinking in the Earl of Derby pub.
Corrigan said he had drunk about six pints of Guinness, one or two gin and tonics, and several drinks containing vodka. He said he had also taken cocaine.
Corrigan was found guilty by a jury, who took two hours to reach a guilty verdict, at Cambridge Crown Court earlier this year.
On the first day of the two-day sentencing, Algasim’s father, Yousef Al Qasim, told Mr Justice Dias: “Instead of witnessing his achievements, I was confronted with the unbearable reality of receiving his lifeless body.”
The judge also heard statements from Algasim’s sister, Shatha Al Qasim, on Wednesday. Both statements were read out at the hearing by a family member.
Corrigan’s father, Peter Corrigan, of Vinter Terrace, Cambridge, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to assisting an offender in September.
The 51-year-old was captured on CCTV at 09:04 BST on 2 August removing the blood-stained jacket his son had been wearing from bushes in Vinter Terrace and placing it into a wheelie bin, Cambridgeshire Police said.
The force also said the father helped his son evade arrest by facilitating him hiding at the Holbrook property.
Cheryl Williams, Crown Advocate, said: “Chas Corrigan claimed he acted in self-defence, but the evidence clearly showed this was not the case.
“Our case was built on a strong combination of CCTV footage, including images of the attack itself, eyewitness testimony and pathology evidence.
“This was a fatal and cruel act of violence which has had a devastating impact on Mohammed Algasim’s family and friends.
“Nothing can undo their loss, but I hope today’s sentence provides some measure of justice.”
Det Ch Insp Dale Mepstead, who led the investigation, said: “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of Chas’ actions.
“Mohammed was a young man with his whole life ahead of him, and his death has had a profound impact on all who knew him.
“Our thoughts continue to be with his family and friends as they come to terms with this tragic loss.”
Following the trial, Algasim’s family said: “This has been a very difficult journey for our family. Losing Mohammed has left a deep void in our lives.
“Whilst nothing can bring him back, today’s verdict recognises the seriousness and brutality of how his life was taken.”