Sabita Thanwani: Boyfriend pleads guilty to murder of Indian-origin student in UK
Sabita Thanwani murder: A Tunisian man, accused of the murder of Indian-origin student Sabita Thanwani has admitted to her killing in court. Thanwani was murdered at her university accommodation in the Clerkenwell area of north London in March last year.
23-year-old Maher Maaroufe pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility during a hearing at the Old Bailey court in London on Friday. He will be sentenced in September.
Thanwani, 19, was found under the sheets with a cut to her throat on March 19 last year.
The prosecution described Maaroufe and Thanwani's relationship prior to the morning of the killing during the hearing. They were at the student accommodation when a neighbour overheard noises and screams from the room and called emergency services.
According to a post-mortem examination, Thanwani's cause of death was sharp force trauma to the neck. The suspect had left the building before police arrived, but as he did so, officers noticed him wearing a balaclava, according to the court.
The Metropolitan Police had initiated an urgent manhunt for Maaroufe, who was ultimately charged.
Maaroufe also pleaded guilty to assault by beating an emergency worker after being arrested last year for head-butting a police officer. He was remanded back into custody after being accompanied in court by an Arabic interpreter.
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- With inputs from agencies
