Home Office Prevent task group had been made aware of fugitive asylum seeker as a potential terrorist threat a year before he murdered 21-year-old man in an argument over a rental e-scooter, inquest hears

• Home Office was aware Afghan Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai, 21, was terror threat
• Abdulrahimzai murdered Thomas Roberts, 21, in Bournemouth, Dorset, in 2022

The Home Office Prevent task group had been made aware of an asylum seeker as a potential terrorist threat a year before he murdered a young man in an argument over a rental e-scooter, an inquest has heard.

Thomas Roberts, 21, was stabbed to death by Afghan Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai as he acted as a ‘peacemaker’ in an argument between the killer and his friend James Medway in Bournemouth, Dorset, in March last year.

Abdulrahimzai, who arrived in the UK in December 2019, told the authorities at the time of his arrest that he was 14 when he arrived in the country, before it was determined by the courts he had been 18.

It also emerged that Abdulrahimzai was put in foster care on his arrival in the UK despite being convicted and handed a 20-year prison term in his absence for murdering two people with a Kalashnikov assault rifle in Serbia.

The 21-year-old was sentenced at Salisbury Crown Court in January to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 29 years, with immigration minister Robert Jenrick saying that he was likely to be deported at the end of his sentence.

Abdulrahimzai (pictured), who arrived in the UK in December 2019, told the authorities at the time of his arrest that he was 14 when he arrived in the country

Thomas Roberts (pictured), 21, was stabbed to death by Afghan Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai as he acted as a ‘peacemaker’ in an argument between the killer and his friend

Now a pre-inquest review into the death of Mr Roberts held in Bournemouth has heard that the Home Office’s Prevent anti-terrorism programme had been made aware of Abdulrahimzai.

READ MORE: Afghan asylum seeker is jailed for 29 years for stabbing to death aspiring marine after hiding his past as a double murderer to get into UK – as his victim’s ‘broken’ family pay tribute

Adam Farrer, representing the Home Office, told the hearing: ‘We were given instruction that there is to be a further review by the Prevent homeland security department within the Home Office.

‘As we understand it, in 2021 Mr Abdulrahimzai was referred to Prevent due to concerns that he was susceptible to terrorism.’

He added that the review had just been launched into this development.

Mr Farrer said a review of the Home Office’s role in processing Abdulrahimzai’s immigration status had been completed but this would be restricted as it could reveal procedures used when processing applicants.

He told the hearing: ‘The review is an internal report commissioned by the Home Office’s professional standards unit to review the actions taken by the Home Office in relation to Mr Abdulrahimzai and it was commissioned on the basis it would not be published, it is a private, internal report.

‘The report contains day-to-day policies which are public but also operating processes, detailed background security processing which are highly sensitive which could be used by those who wish to abuse the asylum process if they were aware of how the Home Office deals with criminal checks.

Abdulrahimzai, who arrived in the UK in December 2019, told the authorities at the time of his arrest that he was 14 when he arrived in the country

‘For example, it is well known that if you are a minor or a child there are different rules than if you are an adult as we saw in this particular sad case, Mr Abdulrahimzai claimed to be a minor when he was first encountered by Home Office employed staff.’

Coroner Rachael Griffin criticised the Home Office after the father of Mr Roberts, Philip Roberts, revealed to the hearing that he had not received any contact regarding the reviews into his son’s killer as well as for failings in disclosing information to her office.

She said: ‘I am astounded that Tommy’s family have not been told about the review and I am sure you will feed that back and I would urge them to get in contact as soon as possible.

‘It’s totally unacceptable what has happened over the past six or seven months as we have chased our tails to find out what has happened.’

Ms Griffin also asked Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council to provide details of its age assessment checks carried out on Abdulrahimzai as well as for Dorset Police to provide their files on the case and details of any internal review carried out.

Mr Roberts also asked the coroner to check with police about reports that police were aware that Abdulrahimzai had been carrying a knife in the days before his son’s death.

Ms Griffin adjourned the inquest for a further hearing on January 9 2024. The Home Office was approached for comment.

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