A criminology student has been found guilty of the murder and attempted murder of two women on a beach in Bournemouth.

Nasen Saadi, 20, from Croydon, fatally stabbed personal trainer Amie Gray, 34, 10 times as she sat beside a fire on Durley Chine Beach in Dorset on the evening of 24 May.

Her friend Leanne Miles, who was sitting next to her on the beach, suffered 20 knife injuries but survived the attack.

Following the verdict at Winchester Crown Court, Mrs Gray’s wife, Sian, thanked police and the emergency services for helping her and bringing “the justice that she deserves”.

She said in a statement: “Amie will never be forgotten. She touched the lives of so many. The immense support and love shown by everyone, reflects just that.

“Amie’s life has been brutally taken but now she can rest in peace. Her strength lives on in all of us.”

The trial heard how Saadi, who was studying criminology at Greenwich University in London, was asked by one of his lecturers: “You’re not planning a murder, are you?”

He had asked teachers questions about self-defence for murder and how long DNA stays behind.

Saadi told detectives he had an interest in true crime, unsolved cases and horror movies.

It can now be reported Saadi touched himself while in his prison cell ahead of the trial after he asked a female prison officer how much publicity the case was getting.

Sarah Jones KC, prosecuting, had argued in court the jury should hear this account as it provided a possible motive for the attack but the judge ruled it was prejudicial so could not be used as evidence.

And in February an allegation of stalking was made against Saadi, which led the Metropolitan Police to refer itself to the police watchdog over its handling of the incident.

During the trial, the jury heard how in the days leading up to the attack Saadi had checked into a Travelodge in Bournemouth before moving to a different hotel.

He went to a cinema to watch The Strangers – Chapter 1, described by the prosecution as a slasher movie where the male and female leads both get stabbed.

Ms Jones said: “It suggests, doesn’t it, that the defendant gravitated to what he likes to watch or sought inspiration or encouragement from what he saw.”

The jury was shown CCTV footage which the prosecution said showed Saadi walking along the beach promenade.

A CCTV audio recording was also played for the jury of screaming and a male voice at around 11.39pm – the time of the attack.

Ms Jones told the jury Saadi left the victims on the sand “to bleed to death” while he moved away and tried to disappear “back into the shadows”.

The judge, Mrs Justice Cutts, adjourned the case for a psychiatric report to be prepared on the defendant before sentencing on 28 March.

She told the defendant: “You have been convicted of the most serious of crimes, there is only one sentence that can follow that verdict of this jury and that is a sentence of imprisonment for life.

“You should be under no illusion, the minimum term in this case will be of considerable length but I need to know more before I make that decision.”

‘I am getting dizzy, please hurry up’

A recording of a 999 call made by Ms Miles was played to the court in which she was heard crying in pain.

The 39-year-old told the operator: “I have been stabbed loads of times. Oh my God, I am getting dizzy, please hurry up, please hurry up.”

She continues: “I am bleeding everywhere, I have been stabbed loads of times.”

The clothes Saadi was wearing during the attack and the weapon used were never recovered.

Defendant claimed he ‘blacked out’

The defendant, who chose not to give evidence, admitted visiting Bournemouth but denied the offences.

He told police he might have “blacked out” and had no memory of the period that included the attacks.

Analysis of Saadi’s laptop showed that since January 2024 there were searches about murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler and her killer Levi Bellfield, as well as Brianna Ghey and her killers.

Saadi used the name “Ninja Killer” for his Snapchat account and also used the username “NSkills” on his computer.

There were also multiple visits to websites selling knives and searches for “why do criminals get away with crimes in rural areas” and “why is it harder for a criminal to get caught if he does it in another town”.

During searches of his bedroom at his aunt’s home where he was living, police found five knives, including a machete and an ornamental knife, as well as a self-defence spray.

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Officers also seized a blue Trespass rucksack which contained white latex gloves, two of which were inside out, a black balaclava, a torch and used wet wipes.

In a police interview shown in court, Saadi said: “I am not responsible and I have no reason to attack someone for no reason.”

Asked where he was at the time of the attack, he replied “no comment” and when asked if he was the person in the CCTV footage, he replied: “Beaches are popular places… many people… CCTV shows there were many people walking, it’s not just one person.”

Suggesting a motive for the attack, Ms Jones said: “This defendant seems to have wanted to know what it would be like to take life, perhaps he wanted to know what it would be like to make women feel afraid, perhaps he thought it would make him feel powerful, make him interesting to others.

“Perhaps he just couldn’t bear to see people engaged in a happy, normal social interaction and he decided to lash out, to hurt, to butcher.”

Saadi pleaded guilty to failing to provide his mobile phone code to police.