Man who brutally murdered woman on Bournemouth beach in random attack is convicted

A man who brutally murdered a woman on Bournemouth beach and tried to kill her friend in a randomly targeted yet carefully planned attack has been convicted.

Armed with a knife, 20-year-old Nasen Saadi approached Amie Gray, 34, and her friend Leanne Miles, 38, as they were sat on Durley Chine beach shortly after 11.30pm on Friday 24 May, 2024.

Without warning or provocation, Saadi attacked Ms Miles by stabbing her more than a dozen times. Ms Gray bravely distracted Saadi by shouting at him to ‘get away’ from her friend, allowing Ms Miles to flee.

Ms Gray was stabbed 10 times and would not survive her injuries.

Despite the victims being randomly selected on the night, the attack was the culmination of a lengthy research and planning process by Saadi – who the prosecution successfully argued was intent on committing murder.

Building the case:

Working closely with Dorset Police, the Crown Prosecution Service utilised extensive witness and digital evidence to build the case against Saadi – who denied his guilt throughout – and to demonstrate that his senseless attack was the culmination of months of morbid planning.

Saadi’s internet search history revealed his perverse determination to carry out a murder – and to get away with it.

In the weeks prior to his arrival in Bournemouth, his internet searches included entries such as ‘why is it harder for a killer to be caught if he does it in another town’.

He also searched whether Bournemouth beach was open at night, whether pebble beaches were easier to run on than sand beaches – and which kind of terrain Bournemouth beach had. He even went as far as to search which hotels in the area had CCTV.

It was submitted to the jury this highlighted Saadi’s attempts to understand his environment in order to commit and get away with murder.

The prosecution also used extensive CCTV footage which showed pre-meditation and planning from Saadi in both the execution and aftermath of the murder.

He was recorded at the beach on the day of his arrival in the town, 21 May 2024, in what was described as the first of several visits to survey the scene over the following days.

Having committed the attack, in an attempt to confound any investigation, Saadi discarded the clothes and shoes he had worn during the attack and left Bournemouth early the next morning.

Phone records showed he viewed breaking news articles about the incident the morning after. Saadi claimed that he was not the figure depicted in the extensive CCTV evidence.

This is despite corroborating dates, booking entries, witness identification and evidence of both an image-comparison expert and gait-analysis expert.

The jury at Winchester Crown Court didn’t believe him and unanimously found him guilty of murder and attempted murder.

Benjamin May, a Senior Crown Prosecutor with CPS Wessex, said: “This was a senseless attack which shocked the people of Bournemouth – and our deepest condolences remain with Amie Gray’s family.

“Though both victims were chosen at random, Nasen Saadi’s unfathomable desire to carry out a murder was backed up by extensive planning – which included going to great lengths to avoid getting caught.

“Now he has been convicted and faces life behind bars, I hope he will be forgotten.

“In contrast, we hope that Amie’s memory will live on; as a much-loved young woman and a pillar of her community, who bravely and selflessly defended her friend in the face of a terrifying attack.

“Our thoughts today are with all those who loved and cherished her, as well as with Leanne Miles, whose ongoing support has helped us deliver justice. We hope she and everyone affected by this tragedy can find some solace in today’s verdict.”

Detective Inspector Mark Jenkins, of Dorset Police, said: “The investigation team worked tirelessly for many weeks and months to gather all the available evidence seeking to bring the attacker to justice for Amie, Leanne and their families who have been extremely supportive of the investigation throughout. I would like to thank them for the way they have bravely endured the court proceedings each in their own way.

“My thanks go to the Crown Prosecution Service and the prosecution team for presenting the evidence gathered by the investigation team in the best way possible. An investigation of this scale is truly a team effort from beginning to end.

“We fully understand that this senseless murder had a considerable impact on the whole community in the Bournemouth area. We will continue to do all we can to work with partners and tackle knife crime and violence against women and girls in the town and I hope this case demonstrates that we will do everything in our power to ensure offenders are identified and held to account.”

Saadi is scheduled to be sentenced on 28 March 2025