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Life sentence in Cambridge
A UK court sentenced Chas Corrigan to life imprisonment for the murder of Saudi student Mohammed Al-Qassim in Cambridge, ordering him to serve a minimum of 22 years and six months before he can be considered for parole.
“RIYADH: A British construction worker who fatally stabbed Saudi student Mohammed Al-Qasim in Cambridge last summer was sentenced on Thursday to life imprisonment for murder, with a minimum term of 22 and a half years before he can be considered for parole, according to Cambridge Crown Court”
The sentencing followed Corrigan’s conviction in March after a jury rejected his claim that he acted in self-defence, with prosecutors saying he attacked the student with a kitchen knife after an evening of drinking and drug use.
Reuters said the court ordered Corrigan to serve at least 22 years and six months, while the BBC described the killing as “unprovoked and senseless” and said Mohammed Algasim was stabbed in the neck outside student accommodation in Cambridge in August 2025.
The BBC reported that Corrigan’s father, Peter Corrigan, was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to assisting an offender following the concealment of high-visibility clothing worn during the attack.
Family and prosecution reactions
At Cambridge Crown Court, Algasim’s father Yousef Al Qasim told the court, “Instead of witnessing his achievements, I was confronted with the unbearable reality of receiving his lifeless body.”
Cheryl Williams, Crown Advocate, said Corrigan claimed he acted in self-defence but that “the evidence clearly showed this was not the case.”
The BBC reported that jurors took two hours to reach a guilty verdict after a trial in which Corrigan admitted possessing a bladed article but denied murder.
The Cambridge News account said the jury took less than two hours to find Corrigan guilty of murder after a two-week trial concluded in March, and it described the incident as being captured on CCTV as Corrigan ran from the scene.
Parole minimum and legal fallout
The sentencing details varied across outlets, with Madhyamam saying Corrigan’s minimum term before parole eligibility was 22 years and six months, while Arab News said the minimum term was 22 and a half years before he can be considered for parole.
“Chas Corrigan of Cambridge jailed for life after murdering student with kitchen knife A man has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering a student in Cambridge A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering a student in Cambridge”
Arab News also reported that Corrigan was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment for possession of a bladed article, and that the sentence would run concurrently with the life sentence and would not extend the minimum term.
The BBC reported that the court heard Corrigan’s father was captured on CCTV at 09:04 BST on 2 August removing the blood-stained jacket his son had been wearing from bushes in Vinter Terrace and placing it into a wheelie bin.
In the same case, the Ely Standard said Corrigan’s father appeared via video link from HMP Peterborough and received two years in prison after pleading guilty to assisting an offender, while the Cambridge News said Peter Corrigan was detained after admitting helping his son evade arrest.
