Mentally ill man jailed for 18 years for killing student Theology undergraduate stabbed in Jerusalem
THE man who killed a University of Birmingham exchange student in Jerusalem has been sentenced to 18 years behind bars.
Jamil Tamimi stabbed 20-year-old Hannah Bladon to death as she rode a tram on Good Friday in April 2017.
According to Israel’s public broadcaster Kan, Tamimi, 57, who lived in Jerusalem, will serve 18 years, rather than life imprisonment, after reaching a plea bargain with prosecutors because he suffers from mental health illness, it has been reported.
He was charged with first degree murder.
He is set to start his sentence after the courts have heard from Miss Bladon’s family.
The theology undergraduate, from Burton, was taking part in an exchange programme with the Rothberg International School at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, when the incident happened.
A pregnant woman and 50-yearold man were also injured when the tram came to a sudden stop in the aftermath of the attack.
Her father Max, 50, spoke about his grief and determination to get justice for Hannah on the first anniversary of her death earlier this year.
Her killer was known to security services.
The day before the attack, he had been released from a mental health facility in northern Israel after being involved in a violent incident.
Tamimi will not have to pay compensation to Miss Bladon’s family, according to Kan. Attorney David Barhoum, who represents Tamimi on behalf of the Public Defender’s Office, said in response: “This is a person who has been dealing with mental health problems for many years and is familiar with the mental health system.”
The State Prosecutor’s Office said that prior to any agreement being signed, it could not comment on the details.
Her death sparked an outpouring of grief with tutors at the University of Birmingham among those paying tribute.
Hannah’s personal tutor Dr Andrew Davies, head of theology at the University of Birmingham, called her death a “senseless loss” and said she was the “brightest, most enthusiastic and happiest student”.
“She will be missed very much”, he said. “It’s a huge university but it’s a fairly small department and they know each other very well and they know the staff very well.
“I’ve had hundreds of short messages from our students expressing their sorrow.”
Dr Davies earlier tweeted his sadness, saying Hannah was a “real treasure and will be very greatly missed by us all”.
He also told his followers that “Hannah was one of our very brightest and best and we are desperately sorry at her loss”.