Birmingham stabbings: Man sentenced to life in prison
Zephaniah McLeod killed one man and injured several others in a stabbing spree last year
Last updated 18th Nov 2021
A man who stabbed a 23-year-old to death, and injured several others in an attack in Birmingham, has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 21 years.
Under section 45 of the mental health act, Zephaniah McLeod, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, will be taken to hospital for treatment and will return to jail upon recovery.
University worker, Jacob Billington, from Merseyside, died and seven others were hurt in separate incidents in the city centre on the 6th September 2020.
28 year old McLeod, from Nately Grove, Selly Oak, pleaded guilty to his manslaughter and admitted four counts of attempted murder and three of wounding.
Mr Billington was stabbed in the neck on Irving Street while enjoying a night out with school friends when it happened. His friend, Michael Callaghan, was one of seven people also hurt in the attacks which took place over 90 minutes.
- West Midlands Police were called just after 00:30 to Constitution Hill after a 33 year old man was stabbed in the neck.
- Police were called to Livery Street, near Snow Hill station, around 20 minutes later where a 25 year old woman had been stabbed in the shoulder.
- A 29 year old man was found on Barwick Street minutes later in a critical condition.
- West Midlands Police say McLeod dumped his knife in a drain before getting a taxi home, rearming and heading back into the city centre.
- Jacob Billington was found with fatal injuries on Irving Street at 1:50am. His friend, Michael, suffered critical injuries.
- McLeod went on to stab two men, aged 29 and 24, in Hurst Street and also inflicted critical injuries on a 23 year-old woman shortly after.
The series of attacks prompted a major incident to be declared by emergency services with Mr McLeod, who was found to have been suffering from mental health issues at the time, arrested 24 hours later.
The court heard how the 28 year old, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, missed a psychiatric assessment appointment four days before he struck, raising concerns from family members of the victims about missed opportunities from health agencies. A serious case review prompted by the attack last year is due out in January.
The families also heard how he had been out of contact with health services since being released from prison that April. Health officials in court for sentencing said the 28 year old will need "close and lifelong'' psychiatric monitoring.