FAILED ASYLUM SEEKER JAILED FOR BRUTAL MURDER OF BRITISH GIRLFRIEND
Ako Amin, an individual who had sought asylum in the UK but was unsuccessful, was found guilty of killing his British girlfriend, Cheryl Tariah, in a savage assault.The attack happened after Amin learned he was facing deportation from the United Kingdom.
During the proceedings at the Old Bailey, it was revealed that Amin, who initially applied for asylum in 2008 and had exhausted his legal options just a day prior to the murder, suddenly erupted into rage.
He attacked Miss Tariah with a hammer and later strangled her in an extended assault.
After committing the murder, Amin walked to a nearby library and told a friend that the hammer was not the weapon used, stating, 'The hammer didn’t do it - I had to strangle her.' He then attempted to escape by hanging onto a truck at Dover but was apprehended three days later.
A search of his bedroom uncovered a black-handled hammer hidden within a black bin bag.
Amin subsequently told police that he 'lost it,' attributing his actions to feelings of anger and frustration, and claimed that Miss Tariah had admitted to being unfaithful.
The court sentenced him to at least ten and a half years in prison for murder, describing his conduct as 'wicked' and 'selfish,' and noted the significant emotional toll on Cheryl’s mother, who was grieving her husband’s death two years prior and was now caring for her severely autistic son.
The judge remarked, 'This is a shocking incident in which a young woman has lost her life, and the consequences for Cheryl Tariah’s mother can only be imagined.' Born around 1993, Amin arrived in the UK in December 2008 seeking protection from political violence in Iran, following the murder of his brother.
His application was denied and all appeals had been exhausted by February 7 of the year in which the killing occurred.
