On 12 March 2022, 21-year-old Thomas Roberts, from Bournemouth, Dorset, England, was murdered by Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai. Roberts was stabbed by Abdulrahimzai during an argument between Abdulrahimzai and Robert's friend over an e-scooter in Bournemouth Town Centre.
Abdulrahimzai admitted manslaughter, but denied murder. On 23 January he was convicted of murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 29 years.
Background
Thomas Roberts
Thomas George Philip Roberts, was a 21-year-old man from Bournemouth, Dorset. Growing up, he was a Sea Scout. Roberts was a qualified precision engineer. He was described as an 'active sportsman', enjoying mountain biking and boxing, being a member of Christchurch Boxing Club. In his spare time, Roberts was a drum and bass DJ. Performing under the name ‘Nomad’, he was described as “one of the best up and coming artists the south had to offer”. Roberts was an aspiring Royal Marine, having completed an application form.
Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai
Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai was born in Afghanistan in 2001. From approximately aged four, he played cricket and growing up, he used train to box with his father. Abdulrahimzai's parents sold alcohol that they brewed on the black market, with Abdulrahimzai delivering the alcohol. Abdulrahimzai's parents were killed by the Taliban, who placed bombs outside their homes. They thought that Abdulrahimzai's father was working with the United States, as well as for illegally selling alcohol. Abdulrahimzai stated that he was tortured by the Taliban after being kidnapped. He stated the had scars from this, having been stabbed 28 times, with injuries inflicted by the butts of rifles and knives. Abdulrahimzai was stabbed four times under his arms as well as being shot in the leg by the Taliban. After being thrown to the side of a road, Abdulrahimzai's uncle arranged for him to be taken from Afghanistan to Pakistan, Iran and other countries.
At some time before October 2015, Abdulrahimzai left Afghanistan, moving illegally through many international borders, initially through Pakistan and Iran before moving between Norway, Italy, before being in Serbia in October 2015. By October 29, 2015, Abdulrahimzai was in Norway, where authorities took his fingerprints. Abdulrahimzai stated he got from Serbia to Norway by walking or in the back of cars. By July 2016, after leaving Norway, Abdulrahimzai was in Italy. From here, he returned to Serbia, recorded as being there on 26 June 2017, using a different name.
On 31 July 2018, Abdulrahimzai used a Kalashnikov rifle to shoot dead two Afghan men, for which he was convicted in absentia of two counts of murder. After leaving Serbia, he returned to Norway in October 2018. In 2019 he made a claim for asylum in Norway. During December 2019, it was rejected; during the same month he illegally entered the United Kingdom via the Port of Poole, where he claimed asylum, pretending in a Home Office interview to be an unaccompanied 14-year-old. He was issued a date of birth of 2005, when in fact, after his age was later determined, he was aged 18.
He moved to Poole, Dorset, England, where he was put into foster care. Abdulrahimzai played cricket for Winton, as well as attending a boxing club. Abdulrahimzai got involved in organised street fighting whereby he was paid £100 for 10 minutes of fighting without gloves. He reportedly got into fights at school and in public and Abdulrahimzai stated that he was racially abused and physically assaulted.
His foster mother caught Abdulrahimzai with a knife, which she took from him before ensuring that the knives in the house were locked away.She stated that Abdulrahimzai thought it was 'his right to carry a knife to defend himself'.
He had continued to carry a knife despite police warnings. In November 2020, Abdulrahimzai was also the victim of an assault in King's Park, Bournemouth in whereby he was bitten, as well as being stabbed to his eyebrow and punched by lots of people. He said that he had been chased by people with machetes in the same park. Abdulrahimzai stated that he reported every assault to police, however, that they did not help him. Police had not been able to investigate the King's Park assault, as Abdulrahimzai wouldn't provide details of one of the people who punched him.
In December 2020, Abdulrahimzai carried a knife whilst out shopping, as he was scared for his life after being tortured in Afghanistan and from being attacked since being in the UK.