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College stabbing victim was preparing to marry
Benedict Moore-Bridger24 Sep 2008
A woman stabbed to death at a college by an alleged stalker wearing a Phantom Of The Opera-style mask was due to get married in Dubai, it was claimed today.
The 23-year-old was stabbed repeatedly during the frenzied attack, while her female colleague was injured before the knifeman tried to slit his own throat.
The alleged assailant stormed into St George's College in Plaistow, where the victim worked as a receptionist and teacher, on Monday evening.
The woman, of Pakistani origin, was stabbed in the chest and neck. Her friend, college manager Kiran Asghar, was also hurt but managed to escape and raise the alarm.
Friends today told how the dead woman, who has not yet been named, was preparing for a January wedding in Dubai.
Mohammed Noorani, landlord to Mrs Asghar and her husband Irfan Sheikh - who owns the small language and business school based in a first-floor office above shops - said: "She was engaged to a man in Dubai. She was very much looking forward to getting married."
Mrs Asghar, 21, who was born in Pakistan, suffered a stab wound to the shoulder and was taken to hospital but discharged. Mr Sheikh said his wife was now recovering at home.
He said: "Everyone is holding up. We are taking it slowly. We will see how it goes. We have absolutely no idea who the killer is."
Witnesses told how the killer, wearing a curly black wig and white mask, repeatedly stabbed the 23-year-old's lifeless body as she lay on the floor. They heard the victim's co-worker scream "he's killing her". Her partially clothed body was found at the scene.
Ijaz Malik, 40, who runs a builders' merchants under the college, said: "I saw him go into the college, 20 minutes later I heard a scream. A girl ran out screaming: 'He's killing her, he's killing her.' I ran upstairs and saw him stabbing her with a big carving knife.
"She was already dead but he was stabbing her again and again. When he saw me he chased me down the stairs. I locked the door and called the police."
Officers disarmed the attacker as he apparently began stabbing himself in the neck.
A man was arrested and taken to hospital where he remains under police guard in a stable condition.He is expected to be discharged and taken to a police station on Friday after operations on his neck.
Detectives are now investigating whether the attacker had been stalking or harassing the woman who died.
Reader views (1)
this is an absolute tragedy as we knew the family.i have just attended her funeral and she looked as if she was sleeping.May Allah grant her paradise and give her family sabar,Ameen.
- Taz, LONDON, 03/10/2008 14:54
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