Knightsbridge killing: Man who murdered student near Harrods jailed

Mohammed Al-Araimi was stabbed to death while out with a friend in Knightsbridge

A man who stabbed an Omani student to death near London department store Harrods has been jailed for life.

Mohammed Al-Araimi, 20, collapsed beside the store's Christmas tree after he was attacked in Knightsbridge while out for dinner on 5 December 2019.

Inner London Crown Court heard Badir Al-Nazi, 24, and another man lay in wait then attacked Mr Al-Araimi and his friend in an alleyway.

Al-Nazi was sentenced to a minimum of 27 years in prison.

The court heard the victim, the son of property magnate Sheikh Abdullah Al-Araimi, and his friend Nasser Kanoo had been out for dinner on the night of the killing.

Badir Al-Nazi (l) and Arseboon Dilbaro both denied murder

They were attacked from behind by Al-Nazi and German national Arseboon Dilbaro as they walked down an alleyway.

Mr Al-Araimi was fatally stabbed in the chest while Mr Kanoo was stabbed in the hip. He later recovered from his injury.

Police suspected the pair were targeted in an attempted robbery as Mr Al-Araimi was wearing a £37,000 Patek Philippe watch and Mr Kanoo had an £8,000 Rolex on, the jury was told.

Kuwaiti citizen Al-Nazi admitted manslaughter and having a knife but denied murder, claiming he did not mean to stab the victim.

In addition to his life sentence, he was handed an eight-year sentence for wounding with intent and six months for possession of a bladed article, both to be served concurrently.

The court heard that Al-Nazi and Dilbaro had been laying in wait for their victims before the attack

Dilbaro, 23, blamed the stabbings on his co-defendant and was acquitted of murder, manslaughter and having a knife.

However, he was found guilty of wounding by assisting Al-Nazi when he blocked Mr Kanoo's escape, and jailed for 33 months.

Both men were acquitted of attempted robbery.

Mr Al-Araimi collapsed near the Harrods Christmas tree

Sentencing Al-Nazi, Judge Usha Karu said there was "no doubt that you knew full well what you were doing when you used a knife that evening".

In a statement read in court, Mr Al-Araimi's brother, Raid, described his sibling as someone who "spread joy and kindness to anyone who crossed his path" and called his killing a "cowardly attack".

Mr Kanoo said in his statement he could "only hope the offenders realise that action, which lasted a mere eight seconds, has had a grave, detrimental impact on the lives of our loved ones.

"No matter what the motive was, there is no convincing enough reason to take an innocent life away and traumatise another."