An Afghan asylum seeker convicted of stabbing a young man to death in Bournemouth had previously been found guilty of murdering two people in Serbia, a court has heard. Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai, 20, was convicted of killing Thomas Roberts, 21, outside a Subway shop in March last year following a dispute over an e-scooter.
The court was told that Abdulrahimzai had been sentenced to 20 years in prison in Serbia for the 2018 murders of two fellow Afghans, which involved an automatic assault rifle. He had also been convicted of drug-dealing in Italy. UK authorities were unaware of his violent history when he entered the country in 2019, claiming to be a 14-year-old schoolboy.
The fatal stabbing occurred after Thomas Roberts intervened in an argument between Abdulrahimzai and his friend James Medway over a scooter. Abdulrahimzai, wearing an Afghan flag and balaclava, produced a 10-inch knife and stabbed Roberts twice in the chest before fleeing. He later buried the knife and burned clothing, but dropped his mobile phone, which led police to his home.
Prosecutor Nic Lobbenberg KC detailed the Serbia murders, stating Abdulrahimzai fired 18 rounds from a Kalashnikov rifle at close range, killing two men during a dispute over migrant trafficking. The defendant was 15 at the time. He was convicted in his absence by a Serbian court in 2020.
Dorset Police admitted they were unaware of Abdulrahimzai's previous convictions before his arrest for Roberts' murder. The force stated: 'Prior to his arrest for this offence, Dorset Police was not aware of any previous convictions related to Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai.'
