SAMMY ALMAHRI

Sammy Almahri, aged 45, was found guilty of murdering Nadine Aburas at the Future Inn in Cardiff Bay on New Year’s Eve in 2014.

He confessed to the killing, claiming that he was guided by the voice of God.

Judge Nicola Davies described the attack as motivated by jealousy and anger.

During the trial, evidence was presented showing that Almahri had been monitoring Nadine Aburas through her phone before the incident.

After the murder, he took her vehicle and fled to Tanzania, where authorities eventually detained him.

Prosecutor Roger Thomas QC pointed out that an aggravating circumstance was Almahri’s suggestion to police that Ms Aburas had committed suicide because of her challenging life.

Psychiatric assessments revealed that Almahri had persistent maladaptive behavioral patterns, exhibited emotional coldness and callousness, and might have taken some satisfaction from the act.

He also showed signs consistent with dissocial personality disorder, and was described as likely jealous and possessive in the relationship.

Defense attorney John Charles Rees QC characterized their relationship as turbulent, mentioning that Ms Aburas was confident and determined, and that she went to the hotel to return Almahri’s passport.

The court noted that Almahri was under the influence of alcohol at the time, which increased his impulsiveness.

He was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 17 years.

The court provided background on their relationship, which started through an online dating platform in 2012; initially, Almahri lavished her with gifts, but their relationship deteriorated in 2014.

It was revealed that Almahri had been abusive and threatening toward Ms Aburas before the murder.

Following the sentencing, South Wales Police stated that Almahri tried to mock her family from Tanzania and believed he could escape justice by fleeing abroad.

The case was marked by emotional testimonies, including Ms Aburas’s mother, who described her as “a ray of sunshine” and expressed her grief, saying “he [Almahri] made us wait two years to mourn our child.

He has wrecked our lives.”