Plea for billionaire’s son suspected of murdering woman in 2008 to return to UK

The son of a billionaire suspected of murdering a Norwegian student 17 years ago has been asked to return to the UK as police issued a new photograph of him.

Martine Vik Magnussen, 23, was raped and murdered after a night out with friends to celebrate her end-of-term exams at the Maddox nightclub, Mayfair, central London, on March 14 2008.

Farouk Abdulhak was identified as the main suspect but hours after her death he fled the country to Yemen via Egypt.

The Metropolitan Police have appealed for Abdulhak to return to face charges and issued a more recent image of him.

Ms Magnussen’s father said in a statement published by the force on Friday: “For 17 years, justice has been denied as Farouk Abdulhak remains a free man in Yemen.”

Odd Petter Magnussen added: “On March 8, International Women’s Day, I was once again painfully reminded that my daughter, Martine Vik Magnussen was brutally raped and murdered in London in 2008.

“Violence against women and girls is a crisis that affects families worldwide and Martine’s case is a stark reminder that justice delayed is justice denied.

“Martine’s voice was silenced but we must not be silent for her.”

Her body was found in the basement of a property on Great Portland Street, central London, on March 16 2008 and a post-mortem examination found she had died from compression to her neck.

Abdulhak was friends with Ms Magnussen and had been at the nightclub on March 14.

In 2023 he claimed the incident was a “sex accident gone wrong”.

In a text message to Nawal Al-Maghafi, BBC News Arabic special correspondent, Abdulhak said he “could barely piece together what happened”.

When the journalist asked him why, he replied: “Cocaine.”

Abdulhak told Ms Al-Maghafi “trust me I’m legally (expletive)” and that this was due to “leaving the country and the body was moved”.

She asked him if he had thought about handing himself in, and he said lawyers had advised him not to as he would now “serve the harshest sentence”.

Abdulhak told her it was “too late”.

During an initial phone call conversation with Ms Al-Maghafi, Abdulhak said he does not know what answers Ms Magnussen’s family want to hear.

When asked about the possibility of coming back, Abdulhak responded: “It’s too cold there. I don’t like the weather.”

His father was the late billionaire Shaher Abdulhak, who was known as the king of sugar because the source of part of his fortune was the soft drinks industry.

An anonymous family member told a Discovery+ documentary aired in 2022 that Abdulhak is leading an isolated life in Yemen.

They said: “Farouk’s entire life is staying at home. There is no socialising. There is no going to public places.

“Nobody comes there. He doesn’t really have any friends.”

Ms Magnussen was studying at Regent’s Business School and had just come top of her class when she died.

A group of students were on the night out but Ms Magnussen vanished, and her body was found in the basement area of flats where Abdulhak lived.

On Friday, Detective Inspector Jim Barry, leading the investigation from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “Despite Abdulhak’s refusal to come to the UK, we are as committed today as we were in 2008 to get justice for Martine.

“We’re releasing a more up-to-date image of Farouk Abdulhak and hope that someone can encourage him to do the right thing and hand himself in to UK police.

“My message is directly to Farouk Abdulhak.

“You have been running and hiding for 17 years. You participated in a BBC documentary, providing your explanation as to what happened. It is time to grow up and face your responsibilities to Martine and her family.

“Come to the UK now and explain all to a court and jury. Our pursuit of you will not stop.”