Bournemouth e-scooter row: Home Office to investigate circumstances of the murder

Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai was previously convicted of murdering two people in Serbia

The Home Office will investigate "red flags missed" in the case of a man convicted of murder who had previously killed two people in Serbia.

Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai, an Afghan asylum seeker, was found guilty of murdering a stranger trying to act as a "peacemaker" in Bournemouth.

After the verdict it was revealed he was also convicted of murder in 2018.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said the Home Office would look at the "full circumstances" of the case.

In the early hours of 12 March 2022, Thomas Roberts, 21, from Bournemouth, was killed after his friend got into an argument with Abdulrahimzai over an e-scooter.

He admitted stabbing Mr Roberts but denied intending to cause him serious harm.

On Monday, Abdulrahimzai was found guilty of murder at Salisbury Crown Court.

Tom Roberts was stabbed to death in an argument over an e-scooter

Following the jury's verdict, the court heard Abdulrahimzai went to a shed in Serbia on 31 July 2018 where two people, also from Afghanistan, had been sleeping.

He fired 18 rounds from an automatic firearm following an argument "possibly in some way linked to the business of people-trafficking", the judge said.

'So many red flags'

Abdulrahimzai arrived in the UK in December 2019 and told the authorities at the time of his arrest that he was 16.

It was determined at Salisbury Crown Court that his true age was 21.

Speaking in the House of Commons earlier today, Conservative former minister Tobias Ellwood asked for a formal Home Office investigation.

He said: "Abdulrahimzai had a criminal record for murder in Serbia, a criminal record for drugs in Italy and then threatened his foster carer here in the UK and bluffed his way into our asylum system posing as a minor."

He added there were "so many red flags missed that could have revealed what a threat to society this individual was".

Mr Jenrick said: "Sentencing is yet to take place, but we will be investigating the full circumstances surrounding the case so that we can ensure we learn all the lessons."

Abdulrahimzai will be sentenced on Wednesday.