Two robbers hunting wealthy victims across London's upmarket districts murdered a young Omani student in a late-night attack close to Harrods department store, a court heard on Tuesday.
The men walked around London for at least 90 minutes before they stabbed and killed Mohammed Al Araimi, 20, as they tried to steal his personal effects during eight seconds of violence in 2019, the Inner London Crown Court heard.
The two launched their attack close to the store moments after Al Araimi had left an Italian restaurant with Nasser Kanoo, a friend and fellow student from King’s College London, the prosecution said.
The court heard the students were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Rahim Al Nazi, 24, a Kuwaiti, and German Arseboon Dilbaro, 23, followed the students into an alley in Knightsbridge to try to steal their watches worth a combined £41,000, prosecutor Anthony Orchard stated.
Al Araimi wore a £34,000 Patek Philippe watch while Mr Kanoo’s Rolex — a birthday gift from his parents — cost £7,000.
The jury on Tuesday watched video of the attack from a security camera which showed Mr Al Nazi grabbing Al Araimi around the throat and stabbing him during a brief struggle. Mr Dilbaro confronted the second man who was stabbed in the back during the melee, said Mr Orchard.
Despite their injuries, the students were able to flee “sprinting at full speed” while being pursued by Mr Al Nazi, the court heard. But Al Araimi collapsed seconds later close to a Christmas tree outside Harrods and Mr Kanoo “could see blood pouring from his friend,” Mr Orchard said.
A passing doctor performed open chest surgery on the victim and was able to restart his heart briefly. But Al Araimi suffered cardiac arrest before he could make it to hospital.
He was declared dead within 40 minutes of the attack in the early hours of December 6, 2019. Mr Kanoo was taken to hospital and released after treatment.
“Unfortunately for them, the two friends, Mohammed and Nasser, were in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Mr Orchard.
“Both victims were stabbed. Mohammed Al Araimi died less than an hour later. Tragically, he became yet another victim of knife crime.”
The two accused killers were captured on security cameras walking away from the scene, the court was told. A security camera outside a casino filmed them together with their faces clearly visible.
Police traced their movements back through London’s network of security cameras, which showed them setting off together from an area close to Mr Al Nazi’s home, about two kilometres from the scene of the attack.
Over the next 90 minutes, they embarked on a circuitous route of some of London’s wealthiest areas, including Notting Hill and Kensington, before ending up in Knightsbridge, where Al Araimi was killed.
The men walked past hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs on the hunt for victims, the court heard.
“The two defendants had gone out that night looking for a victim or victims to rob,” said Mr Orchard, “their circuitous route to Knightsbridge demonstrating their desire to wait for the right victim or victims in the right location.”
The accused encountered the two victims after they left the Sale E Pepe Italian restaurant and started to head towards Al Araimi’s family home.
Police were unable to identify the attackers and released pictures on January 7, more than a month after the attack, from footage they had gathered from dozens of sites.
Mr Al Nazi handed himself in the following day after seeing his name on social media, the court was told.
Detectives used his phone to identify someone he had been speaking to regularly in the run-up to the killing. The number belonged to Mr Dilbaro, the court heard.
Analysis of signals from the phones was consistent with the two being together as they walked through London to Knightsbridge.
But by the time police went to search for Mr Dilbaro, he had fled to Egypt, the court was told. He travelled to Egypt via Greece some three days after the killing. He was arrested when he returned to the UK in July 2020 on charges of murder and robbery.
The two men deny the charges of murder, grievous bodily harm and attempted robbery. Mr Al Nazi admitted to possession of a knife at the start of the trial, which is expected to last up to four weeks.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
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Price: From Dh149,900
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Landfill in numbers
• Landfill gas is composed of 50 per cent methane
• Methane is 28 times more harmful than Co2 in terms of global warming
• 11 million total tonnes of waste are being generated annually in Abu Dhabi
• 18,000 tonnes per year of hazardous and medical waste is produced in Abu Dhabi emirate per year
• 20,000 litres of cooking oil produced in Abu Dhabi’s cafeterias and restaurants every day is thrown away
• 50 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s waste is from construction and demolition
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
How to become a Boglehead
Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.
• Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.
• Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.
• Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.
• Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.
• Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.
• Keep it simple. Complexity is your enemy. You can build a balanced, diversified portfolio with just a handful of ETFs.
• Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.
• Stick with it. Do not sell up in a market crash. Use the opportunity to invest more at the lower price.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Results
1.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Al Suhooj, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Khalifa Al Neyadi (trainer)
2pm Handicap (TB) 68,000 (D) 1,950m
Winner Miracle Maker, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer
2.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Mazagran, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
3pm Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
3.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh76,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Alla Mahlak, Adrie de Vries, Rashed Bouresly
4pm Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Hurry Up, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m
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The low down
Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films
Director: Namrata Singh Gujral
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark
Rating: 2/5
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Trolls World Tour
Directed by: Walt Dohrn, David Smith
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake
Rating: 4 stars
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
