Boyfriend Pleads Guilty Of Killing Indian-Origin Student In London

Maher Maaroufe, 23, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Sabita Thanwani, 19, at her university accommodation in central London.

He appeared in custody at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court in London on 22 March 2022. Thanwani's body was discovered in her student accommodation in the Clerkenwell area of London, however, the accused was not a student. She was a psychology student and the two were in a relationship.

Detective Chief Inspector Linda said that he is a Tunisian national with no fixed address.

A post-mortem report revealed her cause of death to be a sharp force trauma to the neck. She was found with serious injuries at the student block on the morning of 19th March and she died at the scene. Maaroufe was found by police asleep under a tarpaulin in a garden shed.

Officers and the London ambulance service tried to revive her, but she was pronounced dead at the scene at Arbour House, Sebastian Street.

"Detectives investigating the death of Sabita Thanwani in Clerkenwell have charged a man with murder. Maher Maaroufe, 22, of no fixed address, has also been charged with assaulting an emergency worker," the Met Police said in a statement.

Sabita Thanwani was British national studying psychology. Her family is heartbroken by the incident and the loss of their daughter. In a statement, they said that she was the most caring and loving person they had ever known. Her mission was to help people.

While sharing condolences with the family, Linda Bradley Bradley requested people to respect the family’s privacy “at this indescribable devastating time for them as they come to terms with Sabita’s murder". He is the Detective Chief Inspector of the Met Police Specialist Crime unit.

"As a university, we will do everything we can to support our students and staff and we will continue to fully support the police with their investigation," a university spokesperson said.

Suggested Reading: Indian Origin Woman Murdered In Student Flat At London, One Arrested: Report