Man appears in court charged with murdering 19-year-old student Sabita Thanwani

Maher Maaroufe, 22, appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and is also accused of attacking a police officer.

Sabita Thanwani, 19, died at student accommodation in Clerkenwell (Family handout/Met Police/PA)

A man has appeared in court charged with murdering 19-year-old student Sabita Thanwani.

Maher Maaroufe, 22, who is also accused of attacking a police officer, appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

Officers were called to Arbour House, in Sebastian Street, Clerkenwell, central London, at about 5.10am on Saturday to reports Ms Thanwani, a British national, was hurt.

They attended along with medics to find she had suffered serious neck injuries and, despite their efforts, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Maaroufe, who appeared wearing grey clothes and a blue face mask, spoke only to confirm his name, age and that he has no fixed address.

Mohammed Zeb, defending, told the court that at future hearings “there should be an interpreter for the Tunisian Arabic dialect”.

Magistrate Greville Waterman remanded Maaroufe into custody until Thursday March 24, when he will appear for a hearing at the Old Bailey.

Asked by the magistrate if he understood proceedings, Maaroufe shook his head.

Mr Zeb said he would explain it to his client after they left the courtroom.

A post-mortem examination carried out at Whittington Hospital on Monday gave Ms Thanwani’s cause of death as sharp force trauma to the neck, the Metropolitan Police said earlier on Tuesday.

Detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command continue to investigate her death and provide support to her family, the force added.