Migrant awaiting deportation killed partner

A TUNISIAN migrant who slashed his teenage girlfriend’s throat while awaiting deportation was suffering from a “major mental illness”, a court heard.

Maher Maaroufe, 24, repeatedly stabbed Sabita Thanwani, a 19-year-old City University psychology undergraduate from Clerkenwell, central London, in March 2022.

Police were called after a neighbour heard her pleading for Maaroufe to stop, saying: “I can’t breathe. You’re going to kill me.”

Maaroufe donned a balaclava and fled before police officers arrived at the building. Officers found Ms Thanwani lying on the floor with a large wound to her neck and 18 cuts to her face and chest.

The following day, Maaroufe headbutted a detective constable after officers discovered him sleeping under a tarpaulin in a garden shed

Giving evidence at the Old Bailey yesterday, Dr Frank Farnham, of the North London Forensic Service, said that Maaroufe, who was diagnosed with a schizo-affective disorder, suffers from paranoia and hallucinations. Dr Farnham said: “He felt like he was in the afterlife. He still feels like people can read his thoughts. He was describing thought insertion, where he felt that people physically could insert thoughts in his mind. That is a pretty clear symptom of schizophrenia or a schizo-effective disorder.”

Dr Farnham said he was in no doubt that Maaroufe, a cannabis smoker, was suffering from a “major mental illness”.

Addressing the possibility that the psychosis was caused by his cannabis use, he told Judge Nigel Lickley, KC: “If he smoked half a spliff, that could be enough for cannabis-induced psychosis. There is no doubt that cannabis can exacerbate a psychotic illness.

“If it was literally half a spliff, I think it would have a relatively minor effect compared to someone who uses cannabis heavily – that would have a marked effect.

“In my view, cannabis is unlikely to have been indicated in the development of the disorder. It is going to have some effect, but the significance of the effect depends on the dose.

“There is no doubt that Mr Maaroufe has a major mental illness.”

Maaroufe entered the UK legally some years ago but was served with a deportation notice as an overstayer on 14 Aug 2019. He has since applied for asylum, but the matter remains unresolved.

He appeared in court yesterday wearing a white shirt and blue tie, and was flanked by four dock officers.

He earlier admitted manslaughter and assault of an emergency worker by beating Detective Constable James Preston.

Maaroufe was not tried for Ms Thanwani’s murder after the prosecution accepted his plea of manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility because of his schizo-affective disorder.

Judge Lickley adjourned sentencing until Jan 15.

‘He still feels like people can read his thoughts. That is a pretty clear symptom of schizophrenia’