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knife. He was arrested. In August 2015, he told a psychiatrist some of the "most anti-social and violent thoughts" the professional had heard, saying that voices were telling him to burn babies and maim prostitutes. Searches of
Fairweather's possessions included documentaries about serial killers such as the
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after a car crash a few years before he was killed.' He was lying on the grass at Castle Park after drinking, when he was attacked by
Fairweather. He was found bleeding to death by paramedics, who could not save his life. The violence committed towards him with over a hundred stab wounds startled the
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decided that the details were too "gruesome to describe". In court, Fairweather said that voices had chosen
Attfield to be his victim, and the voices began to laugh as he stabbed him. Attfield had defensive wounds on his arms and hands, indicating that he was conscious enough to attempt to fight off
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Fairweather did not attempt another murder for almost a year because the public were wary of the danger: on 27 May 2015 he was spotted loitering early in the morning by a concerned dogwalker. The police were called and interviewed
Fairweather, who was wearing rubber-gripped gloves and bearing a
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were arrested and bailed by officers investigating
Attfield's murder. Det Supt Hawkings, Head of Major Crimes for Essex Police called the attack "brazen" for occurring in a public space where passersby were likely. Police said that despite no firm evidence, one line of enquiry in the murder of
220:, was also stabbed and killed. Teenager James Fairweather was apprehended while planning a third murder in May 2015, and in January 2016 he pleaded responsible for both deaths. In April 2016, he was found guilty of both murders and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 27 years.
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The fact that
Almanea and Attfield were unconnected people, and had been killed at different times of the day, led to a line of investigation that there could have been two separate killers. Fewer people went out in Colchester in public, and overgrowth was cleared to remove hiding places.
322:, the following January, his name not disclosed to the public for reasons of age, he denied two charges of murder and possessing an illegal weapon, but admitted to two charges of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. Fairweather claimed to have
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Almanea was a possible hate crime. During the trial, by which time it was known that
Almanea and Attfield were killed by the same person, it was announced that both had been selected randomly. Premature assumptions that it was a hate crime led the
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On 29 April 2016, Fairweather was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 27 years. Fairweather tried to appeal the sentence in
September on the grounds of his age, but this was rejected as it was deemed that the judge was aware of both.
326:, which was not found by a court psychiatrist. Fairweather was found unanimously guilty by the jury on 22 April 2016, and was to be sentenced a week later, with Judge Robin Spencer, QC, saying that the minimum sentence would be 12 years.
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Almanea was killed in overgrowth on Salary Brook Trail near her home. Fairweather stabbed her in the abdomen before forcing the knife into her eyes and ultimately her brain, so that she could not "see evil".
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543:"LIVE: Judge at the Old Bailey sentences James Fairweather, 17, of Thorpe Walk, Colchester for the murders of James Attfield and Nahid Almanea in Colchester. Sentenced to minimum 27 years"
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Fairweather was convicted of knifepoint robbery of cigars in
January 2014, and sentenced to a year's supervision. He was also convicted of criminal damage of a house in 2013.
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Essex Police questioned 70 locals with a history of knife crime, including
Fairweather, who gave an alibi and was not questioned further.
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773:"Case of Colchester double murderer James Fairweather subject of new TV documentary 'Teens Who Kill' on CBS Reality on Sunday, March 19"
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After the conviction, Attfield's mother Julie decried Fairweather as a "monster", condemning his cruelty to her son.
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As of January 2015, more than 900 potential witnesses had been interviewed. Nine people from various towns in
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James Fairweather was 15 years old when he committed his murders, and 17 at his conviction. He attended
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On 29 March 2014, 33-year-old James Attfield, who had a brain injury, was stabbed to death in
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798:"Jo Frost on Britain's Killer Kids- James Fairweather (TV Episode 2017) | Documentary"
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732:"Serial killer-obsessed schoolboy jailed for 27 years after murdering two strangers"
216:. Three months later, on 17 June, Nahid Almanea, a 31-year-old Saudi student of the
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232:. He was bullied for his prominent ears. He struggled at school, in part due to
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681:"Woman killed in footpath attack 'may have been targeted for Muslim dress'"
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594:"BBC News – Key witness sought by police in Nahid Almanea murder probe"
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648:"Saudi student may have been murdered because she was wearing a hijab"
819:"TV show on teenage double murderer James Fairweather to air tonight"
754:"Teenager loses appeal over 27-year sentence for Essex knife murders"
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571:"James Attfield death: Teen re-arrested in Colchester murder probe"
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457:"James Attfield and Nahid Almanea deaths: Boy admits manslaughter"
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700:"Isis revenge threat over murder of Saudi student Nahid Almanea"
415:"James Attfield and Nahid Almanea murders: The schoolboy killer"
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in March 2017. It was covered in October 2017 on an episode of
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482:"Ripper-obsessed James Fairweather detained for double murder"
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625:"Essex PhD student 'murdered for being Muslim', police fear"
513:"Ripper-obsessed Colchester teen convicted of double murder"
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Serial killings of two people in Colchester, United Kingdom
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https://www.imdb.com/title/tt20252450/?ref_=ttep_ep4
437:"Sentencing remarks, R v Fairweather, 29 April 2016"
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284:Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
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154:Castle Park and Salary Brook Trail,
823:Gazette & Essex County Standard
547:Gazette & Essex County Standard
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862:2014 murders in the United Kingdom
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413:Cawley, Laurence (22 April 2016).
351:Jo Frost on Britain's Killer Kids.
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541:Cornell, Adam (29 April 2016).
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646:Paul, Peachey (20 June 2014).
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771:Lodge, Will (10 March 2017).
698:Kendall, Ben (19 June 2014).
592:BBC Staff (31 January 2015).
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121:with minimum term of 27 years
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877:March 2014 crimes in Europe
459:. BBC News. 22 January 2016
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897:Murder committed by minors
887:June 2014 crimes in Europe
573:. BBC News. 6 January 2015
484:. BBC Sport. 29 April 2016
365:on the Sky Crime channel.
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734:. ITV News. 29 April 2016
515:. BBC News. 22 April 2016
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355:Britain's Deadliest Kids
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872:History of Colchester
270:Initial investigation
110:Two charges of murder
760:. 28 September 2016.
314:Trial and sentencing
218:University of Essex
806:. 15 October 2017.
363:The Real Manhunter
230:Colchester Academy
265:Legal proceedings
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119:Life imprisonment
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75:Found guilty
738:12 February
605:11 February
347:CBS Reality
279:East Anglia
249:head injury
224:Perpetrator
198:27 May 2015
150:Location(s)
56:Nationality
856:Categories
828:27 January
782:27 January
599:BBC Online
577:27 January
552:27 January
463:24 January
417:. BBC News
369:References
320:Old Bailey
210:Colchester
156:Colchester
102:(2 counts)
64:Occupation
44:1998-08-05
359:Quest Red
324:psychosis
164:Target(s)
67:Schoolboy
716:22 April
519:22 April
488:29 April
421:22 April
234:dyslexia
664:21 June
631:19 June
318:At the
291:hashtag
288:Twitter
243:Murders
182:Weapons
158:, Essex
131:Victims
126:Details
115:Penalty
59:British
173:Killed
168:Random
100:Murder
84:Motive
440:(PDF)
214:Essex
187:Knife
830:2021
803:IMDb
784:2021
740:2017
718:2016
666:2014
633:2014
607:2015
579:2021
554:2021
521:2016
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141:Date
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176:Two
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