In a new BBC documentary airing tonight, the son of a Yemeni billionaire will admit his involvement in the death of Norwegian student Martine Vik Magnussen 15 years ago.
Back in 2008, Martine’s body was found buried underneath rubble in the basement of a London flat block, where Farouk Abdulhak, the son of a Yemeni billionaire, lived. Police believed she had been raped and strangled.
Despite being the only suspect in the case, Farouk left the UK for Yemen hours after Martine’s death - never returning to the UK to face questioning by police.
Farouk’s lawyers had always insisted the student – who was 21 at the time – was innocent of murder. Now, 15 years on, This World: Murder In Mayfair will finally shine light on Martine’s death. The documentary will follow BBC News journalist Nawal Al-Maghafi as they uncover the truth to the 23-year-old’s murder – with Farouk appearing in his first media interview to admit it was the result of a ‘sex accident gone wrong.’
Farouk has not been charged with any offence in relation to Martine's death. The UK do not have an extradition treaty with Yemen, where Farouk is currently living.
What is the true story behind Murder in Mayfair?
On the night she died, Martine – who was a student at Regent’s Business School in Central London – had been out celebrating her end-of-term exam results in Mayfair. Around 3 AM, she was spotted leaving the Maddox nightclub with Farouk.
Within hours, she would be dead.
A post-mortem on Maxine’s body revealed she died from ‘compression to the neck.’ Her body showed 43 cuts and grazes, leading police to believe she had been assaulted.
Farouk, who was also a student at the prestigious school, is the son of business mogul Shaher Abdulhak. At the time, he was the richest man in Yemen and a close friend of the then President Abdullah Salah.
Who is Nawal Al-Maghafi?
BBC News Arabic Special Correspondent Nawal Al-Maghafi first began her investigation into Farouk’s whereabouts in 2011. After managing to contact Farouk, the pair began communicating via social media.
In one text, Farouk writes, ‘I deeply regret the unfortunate accident that happened. I regret coming here [to Yemen]. Should have stayed and paid the piper.’
When Nawal asks for ‘clarity’ on Martine’s death, Farouk responds ‘It was just an accident. Nothing nefarious… Like I told you, just a sex accident gone wrong.’
Farouk also claims he was unable to recollect exact details because of his cocaine use that night – with cocaine also found in Martine’s system – saying, ‘No one knows because I could barely piece together what happened.’
What have Martine's family said?
Martine’s father, Odd Petter Magnussen, has campaigned tirelessly over the past 15 years to find justice for his daughter. In light of Murder in Mayfair, he tells the BBC ‘I’m optimistic that me might have a solution in the longer term.’
Where can I watch Murder in Mayfair?
You can watch This World: Murder in Mayfair tonight, Tuesday 28 March, BBC Two, at 21:00 BST.
The documentary will also be available on BBC iPlayer and BBC Arabic TV.
And if you’d prefer a podcast form, the BBC World Service podcast, The Documentary, will also be telling the story in a four-part mini-series. The Documentary: Murder in Mayfair will air from 19 April, with all episodes available to stream from 24 April on BBC Sounds and other podcast platforms.