Birmingham man convicted of murdering friend

Shane Thompson was died after being stabbed in Bartley Green.

Shane Thompson was fatally stabbed in December 2021
Author: Kellie MaddoxPublished 8th Feb 2023

A man has been convicted of murdering his friend in a frenzied knife attack in Birmingham.

Robert Goodwin, 32, was found guilty today (8 February) of the murder of 32-year-old Shane Thompson in December 2021.

Mr Thompson suffered multiple stab wounds. The court heard that both men had spent the day together at work before heading to the pub, and then the home of Mr Thompson’s girlfriend.

Goodwin attacked Mr Thompson in the property; stabbing him in the back, chest, and abdomen before fleeing the scene in Mr Thompson’s car, leaving him dying on the bed.

Mr Thompson’s body was discovered by his girlfriend who returned home later that evening.

Robert Goodwin was seen some hours later in a dishevelled, injured state by a member of the public and an off-duty police officer took him to hospital and alerted the police.

Goodwin admitted killing Shane Thompson but denied murder. Today (8 February), he has been convicted and will be sentenced on 4 April.

Emily Clewer of the CPS said: “Shane Thompson’s life was tragically cut short by someone he trusted and who betrayed that trust in the worst possible way.

"Robert Goodwin had just been released from prison just days before the murder and Mr Thompson offered him a source of employment, and this kindness ended up costing him Mr Thompson his life.

“While we may never know the motive behind this needless crime, I welcome today’s guilty verdict which will ensure that a dangerous man is held accountable for his crime.

"I know that no outcome can replace the terrible loss that Mr Thompson’s family have suffered but I hope it brings them a small measure of comfort that that justice has been served.”

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