WOOLWICH: Asylum seeker given life sentence for David Cooper murder (From News Shopper)

WOOLWICH: Asylum seeker given life sentence for David Cooper murder

12:48pm Friday 10th July 2009 in

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A FAILED asylum seeker has been given a life sentence for murdering 28-year-old David Cooper.

Nineteen-year-old Mossab Belhocine kicked and beat Mr Cooper to death in November last year.

The Algerian national kicked his victim so hard an imprint of his trainer was left on Mr Cooper’s face.

Belhocine cried as he was led away after being sentenced to a minimum of 24 years in jail for murder and 10 years for robbery, to run concurrently.

Another charge of robbery will lie on file and he will be immediately eligible for deportation.

Giving the sentence Judge Stephen Kramer called it “a lethal and ferocious attack”.

During the eight-day Old Bailey trial the court heard how Belhocine, also known as Adam Saidi, met Mr Cooper in Soho before the pair travelled to the victim's flat in Calderwood Street, Woolwich.

The killer says he punched and kicked the sales assistant to stop him from raping him, but the court was told the Algerian had been planning a robbery.

Belhocine, from Walthamstow, ransacked the flat while Mr Cooper lay dying on the floor.

He stole a silver bracelet, a DVD player, a computer console, a television, a laptop and an Oyster card before stuffing the items in two bags and leaving the flat.

Police traced the killer on Mr Cooper's Oyster card and arrested him shortly afterwards.

Belhocine, who denied murder, had claimed he was sexually abused as a child and believed this memory may have triggered his anger on the night of Mr Cooper's death.

The failed asylum seeker came to the UK on a visitor's visa in 2007.

He was part of a network of Algerian pickpockets operating in the Finsbury Park area, the court heard.

Detective Inspector Paul Barran said: "Belhocine was a predatory thief who would go out under cover of darkness and target vulnerable people.

“He had a propensity to use violence whilst committing his crimes, particularly if the victim became aware of what was going on.

"David Cooper was a young, gay man who'd been out with friends during the night and in the early hours of November 18, their paths crossed.

“Behocine clearly believed David was an easy target. He gave him such a savage beating that he suffered four broken ribs, serious head injuries and brain injuries.

"Scientific evidence showed that he was still being beaten whilst he lay on the floor and Belhocine was ransacking the flat for anything of value.

“Belhocine did not contact the emergency services, he just left the flat and went back to the West End of London, using David Cooper's Oyster card that he had also stolen.

"I would personally like to thank the family and the community in Woolwich for their support. I must also commend TfL for their assistance in this case by allowing us access to their systems and technology."