Sabita Thanwani

A YOUNG woman who was stabbed to death by her “jealous and possessive” boyfriend was afraid of him and had tried to break up with him, her family said yesterday (Thursday).

Sabita Thanwani, 19, was stabbed repeatedly in her halls of residence bedroom in Sebastian Street, Clerkenwell, by her Tunisian boyfriend Maher Maaroufe in March last year.

The 23-year-old appeared unmoved as he sat through heartbreaking testimonials from Sabita’s family at the Old Bailey, who described how their lives were effectively over following her killing. In July he pleaded guilty to manslaughter after psychiatrists at Broadmoor, where he is remanded, found he suffered from schizoaffective disorder.

The court heard yesterday that Sabita, known as “Sabby” to her family, had told friends and family she was frightened of her boyfriend, who had been violent with her on at least three occasions prior to her death.

Maher Maaroufe

In a statement read out by her brother Raveen Thanwani, who is three years older, he said Sabita was understood to be giving Maaroufe a final chance when she was killed.

He said: “He was stalking and tormenting her. She told him she wanted nothing more to do with him but he lied and told her he would change so he could meet with her one last time, just to kill her. There is no justice harsh enough for what he’s done.”

The City University student had only been seeing Maaroufe for a few months after he approached her in the street at Christmas and began talking to her, the court heard, but in that time he had become possessive and controlling, including waiting outside clubs to “escort” her home.

He also “tried to force her to give up all her friendships”, according to her father Manoj Thanwani, who lives in Dubai and had his impact statement read out by a relative.

Balloons are released at a vigil for Sabita in Northampton Square

“His coercive, manipulative and aggressive behaviour frightened her and she did not know how to deal with it. She desperately wanted to get away from him and he knew this. There is no doubt he premeditated the murder of my daughter. He told her the day before he was a changed man and had asked forgiveness.”

Prosecutor Louis Mably KC said Maaroufe was suffering from “thematically religious” delusions including having visions of angels, witches and devils who he thought were trying to kill him.

The events of the evening were read out in court for the first time by Mr Mably, who said Sabita had begged for her life before Maaroufe “almost beheaded” her.

Her killing prompted an outpouring of shock and grief amongst the students at City University, who in the days following her killing held a vigil in Northampton Square where they released pink balloons in her memory.

Police outside the Sebastian Street university halls

In the hearing, she was described as a “hardworking, conscientious, kind and caring young woman” with a “bright future”. By contrast, Maaroufe “showed none of her promise”, Mr Mably added. At the time of her death, Maaroufe was applying for asylum.

The Tribune hosted a violence against women and girls summit in the aftermath of her death to examine the context in which it happened and come up with a charter to establish what could be done to avoid a similar situation reoccurring. Experts and local politicians attended.

Her mother, Rheea Thanwani, who had her impact statement read out by Sabita’s aunt, described Sabita as her “soulmate” and “heartbeat” and said they told each other daily how much they loved each other. She said her daughter had expressed a desire to “heal the world” by opening her own psychology practice to help those who couldn’t afford counselling.

“It was such a happy house, filled with music, pizza and frozen yoghurt,” she said of her daughter’s childhood. “She was full of plans, dreams and hopes like any other teenager.”

Describing the impact her death had on the family, she said: “He murdered my beautiful child who lit my soul. He murdered her life and he murdered the help she wanted to give to the world. He murdered me and all of us.”

She now has nightmares reliving Sabita’s final moments and said she can no longer sleep or enjoy her life, and is only surviving for the sake of her son.

“It’s dark in my world now, a terrifying, relentless grief that makes it hard to breathe,” she added.

Sentencing was delayed to allow further psychiatric reports to be prepared.