Can Arslan
| “ | You are next. More people are going to die tonight. | „ |
| ~ Arslan threatening his arresting officer. |
Can Arslan, AKA The Monster Next Door, is a British murderer responsible for a rampage in the rural village of Walton in October 2021.
Arslan had had several disputes with his neighbours, particularly Matthew Boorman and Peter Marsden, who had attempted to have him served with an Anti-Social Behaviour Order. He was convicted of assault after a road rage incident in 2009 when he beat a motorist into intensive care. On 4 October 2021 he called the police and told them he intended to kill Matthew Boorman, but was ignored.
The following day, Arslan attacked Boorman as he entered his house and stabbed him 27 times. He also non-fatally stabbed Boorman's wife Sarah as she attempted to assist her husband. Boorman died at the scene, after which Arslan sat on his corpse and lit a cigarette in triumph. After a few minutes he got up and walked away towards Marsden's house still holding the knife. Another neighbour, off-duty police officer Stephen Wilkinson, pursued Arslan carrying a large block of woof and demanded he dropped the knife, but Arslan ignored him. He forced his way into Marsden's house and stabbed Marsden eight times before Marsden was able to force him out with assistance from Wilkinson. A group of local residents who included Wilkinson were then able to subdue him until police arrived and arrested Arslan. As he was led away Arslan yelled abuse at the officers and threatened to kill them.
Arslan pleaded guilty to attempted murder, grievous bodily harm with intent to kill and affray but denied murder on mental health grounds. He claimed at trial that voices in his head he believed to be his childhood teddy bear had told him to kill Boorman and Marsden. However, the prosecution presented his phone call the day before the murder as evidence of premeditation. It was also revealed that Arslan had been under the care of a therapist for some time but had only mentioned voices in his head the day after the murder. Psychiatrist John Sandford testified that he did not believe Arslan was insane. Arslan was convicted of murder on 6 April 2022 and was sentenced to a minimum of 38 years in prison.