Alleged Bournemouth beach killer carried out 'recces' in days before knife attack, trial hears

A man accused of murdering a woman in a knife attack on Bournemouth beach scoped out the area in the days before the attack, a trial has heard.

On Wednesday, jury members were shown CCTV footage which the prosecution claimed to show Nasen Saadi's movements in the days before the fatal attack on 34-year-old Amie Gray.

Sarah Jones KC, for the prosecution, told the trial they showed Saadi going for evening walks along Bournemouth promenade, which she suggested were "recces" for the attack.

Saadi, 20, from Croydon, south London, denies Ms Gray's murder and the attempted murder of Leanne Miles at Durley Chine Beach, Bournemouth, on 24 May.

The court heard Saadi initially booked into a Travelodge hotel in Bournemouth on 21 May before moving to the nearby Silver How hotel on 23 May.

On the day of the attack, the man in the CCTV footage, who the prosecution alleged to be Saadi, is shown buying wet wipes and nail clippers at a Superdrug store in Bournemouth town centre before also going for a walk along the seafront to buy an ice cream in the afternoon.

Later CCTV footage showed Ms Miles arriving at Durley Chine at 9.10pm followed by Ms Gray at 9.47pm.

The prosecution claims Saadi is then shown in the footage to leave his hotel at 10.43pm, walk to the seafront and then promenade towards Durley Chine.

Images showed a man - who the prosecution claims was "loitering" - approaching the two victims sitting on the beach next to a small fire at 11.38pm.

A man can be seen attacking the two women and running towards one of them, who flees.

The trial heard Ms Gray died after being stabbed multiple times, including one wound inflicted with "severe force" through her chest.

Home Office pathologist Dr Basil Purdue told Winchester Crown Court on Wednesday that Ms Gray suffered a total of 10 knife wounds.

They included an injury to the physical trainer's left upper arm and a serious wound which would have required "severe force" to go through the breastbone.

Dr Purdue said she also suffered cuts which might have been caused as she held up her arms to defend herself.

The pathologist added that Ms Miles, now aged 39, suffered 20 knife injuries mainly to her back, a collapsed lung and an injury to her liver.

He estimated the injuries were caused by a knife with a blade of between 5cm and 7cm long with "a single sharp edge".

Jurors were previously told by the prosecution that Saadi was a student at Greenwich University in London, and had asked lecturers questions about self-defence for murder and how long DNA stays behind.

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Saadi, who has pleaded guilty to failing to provide his mobile phone code to police, denies murder and attempted murder.

The trial continues.

(c) Sky News 2024: Alleged Bournemouth beach killer carried out 'recces' in days before knife attack, trial hears