COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

A knifeman who killed one man and wounded seven other people in a two-hour stabbing rampage across Birmingham city centre is being hunted by police



The first stabbing was in Constitution Hill at 00:30 BST then the killer moved south, apparently attacking at random, officers said.

The stabbings did not appear terrorism related, gang related or connected to disorder, West Midlands Police said.

Murder inquiry detectives said they were hunting a single suspect.

The force urged anyone with CCTV or mobile footage to contact them.

One man died, another man and a woman suffered critical injuries and five other people were left with non-life-threatening injuries.

Ch Supt Steve Graham said the attacker went on to stab people in Livery Street, Irving Street and finally in Hurst Street, where the city's Gay Village meets the Chinese Quarter, at about 02:20 BST.

Police said there was no evidence the stabbings were a hate crime.

Mr Graham said officers - some armed - remained across the city centre to reassure people.

He added they had received a number of descriptions of the suspect but would not be releasing any details at this time.

Savvas Sfrantzis, who was working nearby, said he saw a man stab a girl multiple times but people thought at first he was trying to take her necklace.

"He was like very cold and he wasn't panicking and he wasn't reacting or anything. After he stabbed her between five and seven times... he walked off as if nothing has happened," he said.

Officers earlier found a knife in a drain but Mr Graham said it was "way too early" to say if it was connected to the case.

David Nash, who was running the Village Inn in Hurst Street, said after a "normal night" he heard someone shout "stop him - he's just stabbed somebody" between 02:00 and 02:15.

"The bars were starting to wind down and the next thing we know the area is engulfed with armed response vehicles, normal police vehicles, police on foot, ambulances," he said.

"They just came from absolutely nowhere and the area was full of them and then the police helicopter was up."

He said he then saw paramedics treating two people who seemed to have been stabbed.

CCTV issued in hunt for Birmingham attack suspect



Footage of a man suspected of killing one person and injuring seven others in a spate of stabbings across Birmingham city centre has been released.

The CCTV footage shows a man wearing a baseball cap and a dark hoodie with white drawstrings.

Also wearing dark-coloured trousers and shoes, he can be seen standing and walking on a street corner.

"At this stage we believe that the attacks were random and we have no indication of a motive," said Ch Supt Steve Graham, who urged the public to remain vigilant.

"We are appealing for anyone who recognises the man in the footage to contact us urgently. If you see him, please do not approach him, but dial 999 immediately."

At an earlier press conference he was asked how the knifeman was able to move through the city centre for more than two hours without being caught.

Julia Robinson, from the Southside Business Improvement District, said businesses were in "shock" and had worked through the night to provide police with CCTV footage from the area.

A heavy police presence remained throughout the day, with armed officers, patrols, riot vans and squad cars visible.

Zephaniah McLeod: Birmingham stabbing spree killer sentenced



A killer who launched a deadly stabbing spree in Birmingham has been sentenced to at least 21 years.

Jacob Billington, 23, died and seven others were hurt in five separate incidents carried out over 90 minutes across the city on 6 September 2020.

Zephaniah McLeod, 29, previously admitted manslaughter and four counts of attempted murder.

Judge Justice Pepperall said he would be detained at Ashworth hospital for "as long as necessary".

Afterwards, he said McLeod would see out the remainder of his term in prison.

The 29-year-old, of Nately Grove, Selly Oak, had been suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and was "well-known" to mental health services at the time of the apparently random attacks.

An ongoing NHS-led serious case review into various agencies' contact with McLeod prior to the stabbing was making it hard to get answers to outstanding questions, said Mr Billington's family.

The 23-year-old from Crosby, in Merseyside, was enjoying a night out in Birmingham when he was stabbed.

His friend Michael Callaghan, 24, was left with life-changing injuries.

Birmingham Crown Court heard McLeod had caught a taxi home part-way through his attacks, to pick up another knife, before returning to the city centre.

Mr Justice Pepperall said McLeod had gone on a "murderous rampage" during the 90 minutes and left behind an "appalling catalogue of offending of the utmost gravity".

"Your victims were variously enjoying a night out or returning home from work," the judge said.

"They gave you no offence and they were chosen at random. Wherever possible you aimed your knives at your victims' necks.

"I have no doubt whatsoever you are a very dangerous man and pose a significant risk to members of the public of serious harm."

McLeod had previous convictions for robbery, possession of a knife and class A drugs, and possession of an imitation firearm. He was also once jailed for attacking a six-month-old baby.

The court heard McLeod had refused a psychiatric appointment in the days before his fatal attacks.