Story By: Koen Berghuis, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News

An Iranian immigrant who stabbed a German woman to death with a “Rambo knife” after she rejected his advances has been jailed for life.

Picture Credits: CEN

Iranian citizen Ali Shahghaleh, 44, has been sentenced to life in prison by a court in Dusseldorf, the capital of the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Shahghaleh was found guilty of killing 36-year-old Anna S. on 20th August last year on the streets of Dusseldorf using what local media called “a Rambo knife”.

In total he stabbed the victim 27 times, fleeing afterwards to Spain where he was eventually arrested and extradited to Germany.

The presiding judge said that Shahghaleh committed an “extremely selfish” act and had shown a “particularly despicable attitude”.

The judge said that the murder questions the “very principles of human coexistence”.

State prosecutor Matthias Ridder said: “She did not want to be his girlfriend and died because of it.”

Shahghaleh fell in love with the victim after she became a frequent customer of the shop where he worked.

He reportedly gave her gifts and complimented her all the time, however the victim did not feel the same way towards him.

Shahghaleh wrote her four love letters which included: “Dear Anna, you are a very beautiful, happy and independent businesswoman. I’m not trying to destroy your life. I need your help to rebuild my life anew.”

“I only want to let you know how much I need you and miss you. Every second without you is a living hell for me.”

According to the court, Shahghaleh had planned to kill the woman and was therefore deemed to be of sound mind. Earlier in the trial, however, he had claimed to be suffering from schizophrenia.

Prosecutor Ridder said: “The defendant uses the psycho defence and tries to gain an advantage with it.”