Celine Dookhran trial: Woman given '10 minutes to live' Published duration 19 January 2018

image copyright Twitter image caption Celine Dookhran was found dead in an empty house in Kingston Upon Thames

A woman who survived an alleged attack by an accused rapist and murderer has described what she thought would be her last moments alive.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told a court how Mujahid Arshid, 33, raped her then slashed her neck and wrists with a knife before telling her she had 10 minutes to live.

Mr Arshid is also accused of raping and murdering 20-year-old Celine Dookhran.

He denies all charges.

Ms Dookhran's body was found "stuffed" inside a chest-high freezer in July 2017 in an empty house in Kingston, south London.

On day three of the trial, the Old Bailey was played a video interview the surviving woman gave from her hospital bed to detectives two days after the attack.

Jurors heard how both women "tried to relate" to Mr Arshid before he took Ms Dookhran, his niece, upstairs.

The woman, in her 20s, described hearing screaming and thudding, before eventually "there was no more noise."

When the alleged killer emerged he said Ms Dookhran was "sleeping upstairs," jurors heard.

image copyright UNKNOWN image caption Mujahid Arshid (left) and Vincent Tappu are charged with kidnapping Ms Dookhran and the second woman

Arshid then ordered the woman to get into the freezer but she wedged her body and claimed she could not fit in, she said.

She started fighting the defendant, but he overpowered her before attacking her with a knife, the court heard.

'10 minutes to live'

"I was trying to play dead. He molested Celine's body while she was dead and then he molested me thinking I was dead. He's such a psycho.

"He said okay you've got 10 minutes to live," the woman said.

"I genuinely thought I was dying," she added.

After the defendant realised she was still alive she convinced him not to attack her further by saying "I love you" and "we can run away together," the court heard.

He initially refused, but she insisted that "I can take this pain away" and held his hands to keep them away from the knife, jurors heard.

Ordeal ends

She then described seeing the defendant put Ms Dookhran's bloodied body in the freezer and having "to act like it wasn't affecting me."

Jurors heard the woman's ordeal ended when Mr Arshid drove her to meet his brother, who intervened and took her to hospital.

The court previously heard how Mr Arshid was "sexually fixated" with both women and was "inspired" by infamous acid bath killer John George Haigh

He and co-defendant Mr Tappu both deny the kidnap of Ms Dookhran and the second woman, conspiracy to falsely imprison them both, and possessing a firearm with intent, namely a Taser.

Mr Tappu, 28, from Acton, is accused of assisting in the initial kidnap, but is not said to have travelled to Kingston.

Mr Arshid, of no fixed address, is further charged with sexual assault and assault by penetration against the second woman.