Sabita Thanwani: Former boyfriend of student, 19, in court charged with her murder

A former boyfriend of a university student found with fatal neck injuries in central London appeared in court today charged with her murder.

Tunisian national Maher Maaroufe, 22, is accused of killing 19-year-old undergraduate Sabita Thanwani at her student accommodation in Clerkenwell.

He is also charged with assaulting a police officer.

Sabita, who had been studying psychology at City University, was found dead in the halls of residence in Sebastian Street at 5.10pm on Saturday after police and medics were called.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

A post-mortem carried out at Whittington Hospital in east London on Monday concluded the cause of death to be "sharp force trauma to the neck."

Maaroufe, of no fixed address, was arrested following a police appeal to trace him.

He appeared in the dock at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court this morning (Tuesday, March 22) wearing a full grey tracksuit.

He spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address during the two minute hearing.

There was no application for bail.

Mohammed Zeb, representing Maaroufe, requested that his client is assisted by an Arabic interpreter when he next appears in court.

Detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command are investigating and continue to provide support to Sabita’s family.

Maaroufe, who police said had been in a relationship with Sabita but was not himself a student, was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on Thursday.