Graduate found bludgeoned to death in her bed
The light in our life is extinguished, say victim’s family after she failed to turn up for birthday party
Christina Abbotts, a 29-year-old graduate, was found bludgeoned to death in her bed at a flat in Crawley after she failed to turn up to her own birthday party on Friday night. Zahid Naseem, 47, a businessman, has been charged with her murder.
A UNIVERSITY graduate was found bludgeoned to death in her bed after she failed to turn up to her birthday party.
Tributes have been paid to Christina Abbotts, 29, who was found after her father came to the flat where she was living in Crawley, West Sussex, neighbours said, when friends had not heard from her.
Her family last night paid tribute to their “sweet and loving daughter”.
Zahid Naseem, a 47-year-old businessman who was known to Miss Abbotts and was found at the flat, has appeared before magistrates charged with her murder.
Miss Abbotts, who described herself as a “traveller” and a “foodie”, had posted excited messages on social media about the party in London.
Days before her death she had changed her Facebook profile picture to one of herself with a crown, party poppers and champagne drawn on and the message: “It’s birthday time!!”
When Miss Abbotts, who studied real estate management at Oxford Brookes University, did not turn up, her family went looking for her at the flat in Highams Hill, Crawley.
Aaron Harvey, a 24-year-old Deliveroo driver who lives nearby, said: “This man came over, saying he had been looking for his blonde daughter and had I seen her.
“He said she had been house-sitting for a man in a flat here for four months.
“He said no one had heard from her for about 10 hours and he was worried. It was her birthday and she had booked a hotel in London to celebrate with friends but never turned up.”
The police were called at around 10.30pm on Friday and found Miss Abbotts’s body.
Her family said in a statement: “Christina, our sweet loving daughter and best friend, educated at Cirencester and Oxford, will be sorely missed.
“This independent lady, a muchtravelled person, was taken from us far too early. Her friends in London and parts of the UK will also be grieving.
“The light in our life is now extinguished. Love forever from our family.”
Friends and family of Miss Abbotts, who was half-finnish, last night changed their social media pictures to images of themselves with her.
The preliminary cause of death from the post mortem examination was blunt force trauma to the head, a Sussex Police spokesman said. Mr Naseem, a company director, appeared at Brighton magistrates’ court yesterday charged with murder. The marketing specialist has lived with his long-term partner in a £600,000 semi-detached house in a conservation area of Amersham in Buckinghamshire for around five years, his neighbours said last night.
One said: “I am really just too shocked to say anything about him. He is our neighbour and a lovely man.”
He was found at the property in Crawley on Friday and arrested after being treated for minor injuries, police said. Dressed in a grey tracksuit, he spoke only to confirm his name, age and address. He was remanded in custody to appear at Lewes Crown Court tomorrow.
Detective Chief Inspector Emma Heater said: “We are supporting Christina’s family and they have asked for privacy at this time.
“We are investigating the circumstances of her death and are keen to hear anyone who might have seen or heard anything which might help with our investigation.”
‘This independent, muchtravelled lady was taken from us far too early’