Plea for man suspected of student's murder to return to UK
A new plea to the son of a billionaire suspected of raping and murdering a Norwegian student in London 17 years ago to return to the UK has been issued by the Metropolitan Police.
The body of 23-year-old Martine Vik Magnussen was discovered in a Great Portland Street basement in 2008.
The main suspect, Farouk Abdulhak - who fled to Yemen hours after her death - told the BBC in 2023 she died as a result of a "sex accident gone wrong".
In Friday's statement, Ms Magnussen's father and the lead detective on the case issued a fresh appeal for Mr Abdulhak to return from Yemen, which has no extradition treaty with the UK.
A post-mortem examination found Ms Magnussen had died from compression to her neck, and that her body had multiple cuts and grazes.
Polices said enquires also indicated she had been raped around the time of her death.
Her father, Odd Petter Magnussen, said: "For 17 years, justice has been denied as Farouk Abdulhak remains a free man in Yemen.
"Violence against women and girls is a crisis that affects families worldwide and Martine's case is a stark reminder that justice delayed is justice denied.
"Martine's voice was silenced, but we must not be silent for her."
Ms Magnussen and Mr Abdulhak both studied at Regent's Business School in London, and in the early hours of 14 March, 2008, were together at the exclusive Maddox nightclub in Mayfair celebrating the end of their exams.
CCTV showed Martine leaving the club with Mr Abdulhak at 02:59. Friends of hers said Mr Abdulhak offered to host an after-party at his apartment in Great Portland Street, central London.
Police found her body in the basement of the apartment block two days later, but the main suspect, Mr Abdulhak, had already fled the UK. He took a commercial flight to Cairo, and then travelled to Yemen.
Mr Abdulhak's father, Shaher Abdulhak, was one of the richest and most powerful men in Yemen before his death in 2020. He had a business empire built on sugar, soft drinks, oil and arms, and was a close friend of the president at the time, Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Speaking to the BBC in 2023, Mr Abdulhak said: "I did something when I was younger, it was a mistake."
Communicating via text message, he said: "It was just an accident. Nothing nefarious.
"Just a sex accident gone wrong."
He added: "No-one knows because I could barely piece together what happened."
Asked why, he replied with one word: "Cocaine."
He described himself as "legally [expletive]" because of "leaving the country and the body was moved".
He also told the BBC: "1: I deeply regret the unfortunate accident that happened. 2 regret coming here [to Yemen] should have stayed and paid the piper."
His lawyer has previously insisted he was innocent of murder.
"I don't think justice will be served," Mr Abdulhak told BBC News correspondent Nawal Al-Maghafi in 2023 over the phone when asked if he would return to the UK.
"I find that the criminal justice system there [in the UK] is heavily biased. I find that they will want to make an example of me being a son of an Arab, being… a son of someone rich… it's way too late," Mr Abdulhak said.
Detective Inspector Jim Barry, who is leading the investigation for the Metropolitan Police, said the force is "as committed today as we were in 2008 to get justice for Martine".
In a message directed at Mr Abdulhak, Det Insp Barry said: "You have been running and hiding for 17 years.
"You participated in a BBC documentary, providing your explanation as to what happened. It is time to grow up and face your responsibilities to Martine and her family.
"Come to the UK now and explain all to a court and jury. Our pursuit of you will not stop."
Billionaire's son admits role in student's death
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Missing Bride Surrenders to Police and Is Arrested After Allegedly Murdering Her Husband on Their Honeymoon
On Monday, June 9, Sonam Raghuvanshi, 25, allegedly surrendered to police in India after going missing while on her honeymoon Her husband, Raja Raghuvansh, 30, had been found dead in a gorge in Meghalaya on June 2 Sonam — who married Raja on May 11 — is accused of hiring people to kill him, with police suspecting she was having an affair, per local news outlet Hindustan Times An Indian newlywed has been arrested after her husband was found dead during their honeymoon. Sonam Raghuvanshi, 25, allegedly surrendered at a police station in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur district on Monday, June 9. Police accuse her of hiring people to kill her husband, Raja Raghuvansh, during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, the BBC and local outlet Hindustan Times reported. Sonam married Raja, 30, on May 11 at a ceremony in Indore, which was blessed by both families, according to the BBC. However, the couple went missing four days after they arrived in Meghalaya for their honeymoon. A week later amid a search for them, Raja's decompoing body was found in a gorge with his throat slit and his wallet, a gold ring, and a chain missing, the BBC noted. Sonam's family then launched a campaign that included a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that police were not doing enough to find Sonam or Raja's killers. Business owner Sahil Yadav told local news outlet Times of India that Sonam arrived at his restaurant Kashi Dhaba on foot at around 1 a.m. local time on Sunday. "She asked for a mobile to talk to her brother and then started crying,' Yadav said, per the outlet. Within 30 minutes of her brother asking for her location, police arrived at the scene. Three other suspects from the couple's home state, Madhya Pradesh, have also been arrested in overnight raids, the BBC reported, citing Director General of Meghalaya police Idashisha Nongrang. "One person was picked up from Uttar Pradesh and another two accused were apprehended from Indore. Sonam surrendered at the Nandganj police station and was subsequently arrested,' Nongrang said, according to the outlet. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said in a post on X that police are searching for another suspect amid their investigation. 'Within 7 days a major breakthrough has been achieved by the #meghalayapolice in the Raja murder case...3 assailants who are from Madhya Pradesh have been arrested, female has surrendered and operation still on to catch 1 more assailant .. well done #meghalayapolice.' In a press conference shared on X by the news agency ANI, Minister Alexander Laloo Hek argued that the police and government had been unfairly criticized amid their investigation into the case. "The truth has come out," he added. While police have alleged the men arrested were paid to murder him at Sonam's request, the alleged motive for Raja's death has not been revealed, Times of India reported. Raja's brother, Vipin Raghuvanshi, said that one of the men arrested amid the police's investigation worked in Sonam's office. "Only Sonam can clarify," he said, per BBC. "If she's guilty, she should be punished." Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Despite having not yet spoken to Sonam, her father Devi Singh maintains that she is 'innocent' and told the BBC that he believes she 'somehow managed to escape her captors.' He has accused the Meghalaya police of "making up stories" and is appealing for Home Minister Amit Shah to order a federal inquiry into the case, according to the outlet. 'My appeal to the government is to get a CBI inquiry done. Meghalaya Police is lying,' Singh said, as reported by the Hindustan Times. 'They did not do any inquiry. I am 100% sure that Meghalaya Police is involved in the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi. I have not spoken to the family of Raja Raghuvanshi. 'Sonam and Raja did not know each other before marriage. It was an arranged marriage. I have not been able to speak to my daughter,' he continued. 'Only my son, Govind, spoke to Sonam. Meghalaya Police is trying to trap Sonam in this case. If CBI inquiry is done, officials of the Police Station in Meghalaya will be behind bars.' There has been speculation that Sonam was having an affair, The Hindustan Times reported, citing Vivek Syiem, superintendent of police. According to the outlet, Syiem said, 'It is a fact that she called up her relatives, but all this happened after the raids were conducted. If you look at it logically, all these days she hadn't come out, but last night, when Raj Kushwaha and others were caught, suddenly she surfaced. That speaks for itself.' "The first person arrested is a 19-year-old Akash Rajput, from Lalitpur. The second accused is Vishal Singh Chauhan, age 22 years, from Indore, and the third is Raj Singh Kushwaha, age 21 years, from Indore,' Syiem added. PEOPLE has reached out to the Nandganj police station and Meghalaya police for further information, but did not immediately hear back. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Watch: Man chased across Heathrow airport tarmac
Credit: Big Jet TV A man has been filmed being chased across the tarmac at Heathrow airport. In footage posted online, the man was seen running away from other figures in an incident that lasted several minutes before finally being apprehended. The video, captured by a plane spotter, was posted on social media. The man appeared to be running from at least four other men, but eventually stopped when a van carrying workers in fluorescent tops arrived. It is understood the individual was arrested because shortly after being stopped, a police van was on the scene. A Heathrow spokesman said: 'Working with partners, we have quickly resolved an incident at the airport involving an individual who accessed the airfield taxiway. The individual has been removed from the airport. 'The airport continues to operate as normal, and passengers are travelling as planned.' The Metropolitan Police was approached for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
'We got our stolen car back ourselves because police are too stretched to help'
A couple who "stole back" their car after it was taken by thieves have said they have "huge sympathy" for overstretched police. Mia Forbes Pirie, 48, and her husband Mark Simpson, 62, had their Jaguar stolen from outside their home in Brook Green, west London. An AirTag locator placed in their car last pinged on their road early last Wednesday morning, but after they noticed it was gone it later updated to a location about three miles away in Chiswick. Their Jaguar E-Pace was fitted with a ghost immobiliser - which requires a pin code - meaning they believe their vehicle was moved using a flat bed truck. They called police, who said they would send a patrol car to the location in Chiswick, but the couple didn't know how long that would take so decided to go themselves as it was only a nine-minute drive. They found the car on a back street, and the thieves had ripped out its interior and carpets in an effort to access its wiring so they could drive it. Pirie, a mediator, and Simpson, a barrister, had installed the extra security on their car after having a previous vehicle stolen. Pirie posted an image of the recovered vehicle on LinkedIn and said: "I have to confess... it was kind of fun stealing back our own car." She told Yahoo News on Monday she was "excited" to find the car as she had worried the AirTag on a keyring had been found by the thieves and discarded. Asked about retrieving the vehicle themselves, she said: "People seem to think it's fun or brave. I don't really think it's brave." She said the Metropolitan Police did not refuse to help but "were just a bit slow and we didn't know how long it would take". Asked about the response from the force, she said: "Given how stretched they are. I think it was okay. They were nice and polite. Obviously, in an ideal world they would have acted quicker. "But we both have huge sympathy with how stretched the police are on such low resources. We realise that they have to focus their limited resources on more serious crimes. "Obviously, there are really difficult decisions they have to make as to how they use the limited resources they have. I think on the whole they do a good job with very restricted resources." Pirie said the force told her they will send officers to their home on Tuesday to investigate further. Yahoo News has approached the Metropolitan Police for comment. The RAC advises that owners should always double check their car is actually locked even after using the key fob. This is because some thieves use signal jammers to intercept the signal between the fob and the car, leaving it unlocked, meaning a quick check of the doors is useful. A key fob box in the home, in which the keys are placed, will also deter a "relay attack", where criminals use a device to transfer a signal to a second box placed alongside the car, tricking the vehicle into perceiving the key to be there and unlocking it. But the signal cannot pass through metal, so placing the keys inside a fob box or a signal blocking wallet will stop the thieves. The RAC says motorists should park in well-lit areas that are covered by CCTV and should not display any belongings in the vehicle. It says most modern vehicles come with an immobiliser but that these should be fitted to older cars. Almost four out of five car thefts are unsolved, according to Home Office data published by the Liberal Democrats at the beginning of this year. It found that 24,837 car thefts in the three months up to June 2024 did not result in criminals being brought to justice. The area with the worst record was London, with the Metropolitan Police saying that 90% of all reported car thefts went unsolved, followed by South Yorkshire with 85%. Across England and Wales, only 2.8% of car theft cases result in someone being charged or summonsed.
