Tom Roberts trial: Man found guilty of Bournemouth murder

Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai, 21, was accused of murdering Tom Roberts outside Subway in Old Christchurch Road on March 12 last year.

Abdulrahimzai stabbed 21-year-old Mr Roberts twice with a 10-inch knife after a row broke out over an e-scooter.

The defendant was said to have initially got into an altercation with Mr Roberts’s friend James Medway.

Mr Roberts stepped in between the two men acting as a “peacemaker”. Prosecutors said the complainant slapped Abdulrahimzai after the defendant had been aggressive and threatening.

• Read more: Bournemouth murderer previously convicted of double rifle killing in Serbia

Giving evidence during the two-week Salisbury Crown Court trial, Abdulrahimzai said he was fearing for his life.

Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai (Image: Dorset Police)

Abdulrahimzai pulled the knife from his waistband and stabbed the complainant in the chest and abdomen before running off from the scene.

The court was told in the defence case that Abdulrahimzai mistakenly thought Mr Roberts was an agent of the Taliban who was trying to kill him.

Despite efforts at the scene and in hospital, Mr Roberts died from the injuries he sustained.

Following 11 hours and 27 minutes of deliberations, a 12-person jury found Abdulrahimzai, who had admitted manslaughter, guilty of murder by a majority of 10 to two.

The defendant, of Hill Street, Poole, was remanded in custody by Judge Paul Dugdale as he adjourned the case for a sentencing hearing to take place on Wednesday, January 25.

After the verdict was given, prosecutor Nic Lobbenberg KC told the court about the defendant’s previous convictions in Europe, which included the murder of two people in Serbia.

• Read more: Family of Tom Roberts pay tribute after murder verdict at trial

In his closing speech on Wednesday, January 18, Mr Lobbenberg KC said: “Twenty four seconds is all the time it took for Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai to confront, argue with and kill Thomas Roberts.

“We know he fought at school, we know he got into trouble – this is the clearest and most obvious evidence of somebody that revels in violence.

“It goes beyond that, because this is someone who carries a knife despite having been warned by his foster carer, the police, and social workers.

“He told many people he had an ongoing concern about people from back at home who would threaten him – he was concerned about the Taliban because of his experiences.

“But you know, on that night he wore an Afghan flag as a scarf. If he was so frightened of being visible to the Taliban why was he wearing a high visibility Afghan flag?”

• LIVE: Tom Roberts murder trial guilty verdict returned

During the trial it was heard that the defendant was born in Afghanistan and his parents were killed by the Taliban.

He told the court he was then captured and tortured by the Taliban for up to three weeks before being dumped and left for dead on the side of a road.

His uncle arranged for him to leave Afghanistan and he was trafficked to Europe, spending time in Serbia, Norway and Italy before arriving in the UK at the Port of Poole in December 2019.

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