A Birmingham man has been convicted of murder after killing his neighbour and subsequently spending the victim's benefits money in a disturbing case that has shocked the local community.
The Discovery
Anthony Sharma, aged 43, was found dead by his HMO landlady at approximately 1pm on November 10, 2023, at the property on Doidge Road in Erdington. The grim discovery came after fellow tenant Diogo Bettencourt attempted to prevent the landlady from entering Mr Sharma's room, telling her 'you don't want to do that' and claiming the space was messy, Birmingham Crown Court heard during the trial.
Musarat Bi, the landlady, had become concerned about Mr Sharma's whereabouts after Bettencourt falsely claimed the victim was visiting family in Scotland. Despite Bettencourt's attempts to deter her, Ms Bi entered the room and discovered Mr Sharma's motionless body concealed beneath a sleeping bag.
The Timeline of Events
The last confirmed sighting of Mr Sharma alive occurred at around 10.20pm on November 8, 2023, when both he and Bettencourt were together at the Booze & Beverages off-licence on Slade Road. The pair returned to their shared accommodation, and prosecutors established that Bettencourt murdered Mr Sharma between 10.30pm that evening and 2.30am the following morning.
During this crucial window, Bettencourt was seen leaving the address alone. Over the subsequent day, he repeatedly used Mr Sharma's bank card, including withdrawing cash shortly after a Department for Work and Pensions benefits payment had cleared into the victim's account.
On November 10, Bettencourt made further withdrawals to pay service charge arrears he owed to landlady Musarat Bi, while continuing to maintain the fiction that Mr Sharma was visiting relatives in Scotland.
Investigation and Trial
After discovering the body, Ms Bi immediately left the property and contacted emergency services. Paramedics arrived approximately 15 minutes later and formally pronounced Mr Sharma dead. A post-mortem examination later concluded the victim died from 'applied neck pressure, multiple sharp force injuries and head injury'.
Bettencourt was arrested shortly after the discovery. The 37-year-old Canadian national responded with 'no comment' when questioned about his neighbour's death during police interviews.
During the trial, the court heard that Bettencourt had an 'established history of mental illness' including a diagnosis of schizophrenia. While there was no dispute that he unlawfully killed Mr Sharma, the central issue for the jury to determine was whether he was suffering from an 'abnormality of mental functioning' at the time of the attack.
The jury took less than two hours to reach their verdict, finding Bettencourt guilty of murder on Wednesday, November 19. The defendant, who wore a hooded jacket and was flanked by mental health support workers in the dock, showed no visible reaction to the verdict.
Sentencing and Aftermath
Bettencourt is currently receiving treatment at Birmingham's Tamarind Centre, where he will remain until sentencing on December 15. Judge Paul Farrer KC explained the adjournment was necessary to ensure arrangements were in place for Bettencourt to continue receiving required treatment and to allow both prosecution and defence to prepare additional material for the sentencing hearing.
The case has highlighted the vulnerable nature of HMO living arrangements and raised questions about support systems for individuals with mental health conditions within shared accommodation settings.
