23-year-old Tunisian-born Maher Maaroufe, an asylum seeker in the United Kingdom, has been branded a “monster” by the family of his victim, 19-year-old City, University of London student Sabita Thanwani, as reported by The Belfast Telegraph on Thursday, October 12, 2023.
Maaroufe faced sentencing at the Old Bailey for the manslaughter of Sabita Thanwani, a young woman who aspired to be a psychologist, at her accommodation in Clerkenwell.
The harrowing incident took place on March 19, 2023, when Sabita Thanwani was fatally stabbed in the neck with a knife at around 5 a.m. The prosecution revealed the gruesome nature of her injuries, stating that Maaroufe had almost beheaded her during the attack.
The courtroom heard that Sabita had confided in friends about Maaroufe’s possessive and controlling behavior. He would even wait outside nightclubs she frequented to escort her home, illustrating a pattern of unhealthy and oppressive conduct.
Maaroufe, who entered the UK legally on an unknown date, had overstayed his visa and was in the process of claiming asylum at the time of the attack. He was unemployed, frequently used cannabis, and had a history of involvement in violent altercations.
The tragic sequence of events leading to Sabita’s death began the evening before the attack when she met Maaroufe, who was wearing a balaclava, outside a mosque.
They spent time together on Edgware Road and Oxford Street before returning to Sabita’s accommodation.
In the early hours of the morning, other students in the vicinity heard her distressing cries for help, including pleas like “stop,” “I can’t breathe,” and “I beg you, don’t kill me.”
One brave young woman who heard these cries immediately called the police after hearing a loud scream for help. Maaroufe attempted to flee the scene, even trying to enter another room, but he ultimately left the building on Sebastian Street.
Law enforcement eventually apprehended Maaroufe when they found him asleep under a tarpaulin in a garden shed. During his arrest, he assaulted a police officer, further demonstrating his violent tendencies.
Sabita Thanwani, a diligent and caring young woman, was described by her family and friends as hardworking, conscientious, and kind-hearted.
Her life was tragically cut short, with her body discovered with a slit throat, next to items used for smoking marijuana, and a sock placed over the room’s smoke alarm.
In emotional statements read to the court, Sabita’s family expressed their anguish and condemnation of Maaroufe’s heinous actions. Her father, Manoj, referred to him as a “monster” and an “evil, sadistic murderer.”
Her mother, Rheea, stated, “He murdered Sabita, he murdered me, he murdered all of us.” Sabita’s brother, Raveen, revealed that “anger and rage consumes” him when he thinks about the defendant.
In early 2023, Maher Maaroufe pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denied the murder of Sabita Thanwani. He also pleaded guilty to a charge of assault by beating an emergency worker.
The court is yet to announce his final sentencing, leaving the victim’s family and the community to grapple with the repercussions of this tragic event.
