Judges at Birmingham Crown Court imposed some of the longest possible prison terms during 2025, sentencing six individuals to life behind bars for a catalogue of horrifying crimes. These included a premeditated terror attack, multiple murders, and a matricide sparked by a trivial domestic argument.
A Catalogue of Violence: From Terror to Familial Betrayal
The year saw a range of extreme offences reach their conclusion in court. Only around 400 life sentences are issued annually across England and Wales, reserved for the most severe acts of violence. The six cases finalised in Birmingham underscore the grim reality of such crimes within the city.
Among the most chilling was the case of Jason Savage, a 35-year-old 'lone wolf' terrorist. A convert to Islam, Savage adopted an extreme interpretation of the Salafi movement and meticulously planned an attack on a Salafi cleric linked to a Small Heath mosque and bookstore. The cleric was targeted for being a vocal critic of Islamist extremism.
West Midlands Police evidence revealed Savage conducted reconnaissance, discussing entry points and police response routes. He researched knife killings and firearm construction, scouted military and police buildings, and changed his WhatsApp profile to 'Lone Wolf'. Upon his arrest in 2025, he told an undercover officer, whom he believed was a friend, that he would "see him in paradise," expecting to die in the attack.
Teenage Killers and a Son's Ultimate Betrayal
In a separate and brutal case, three teenagers were convicted for a murder inside a Solihull vape shop. Abdurrahman Summers, 19, and two 16-year-old boys murdered 17-year-old Reuben Higgins at the Vape Minimarket in Marston Green on October 29, 2024. A fourth suspect, believed to have inflicted the fatal stab wound, remains at large abroad. Summers received a life sentence with a minimum term of 19 years, while the two younger teens were given minimum terms of 15 and 17 years.
In a shocking act of domestic violence, Surjit Singh, 36, murdered his 76-year-old mother, Mohinder Kaur, at their Handsworth home on September 29, 2024. Singh, her sole carer, flew into a rage fuelled by drink and drugs and attacked her after she took the TV remote control from him. He admitted murder and was sentenced to life with a minimum of 15 years.
A Deadly Road Rage Attack and Lasting Impact
The court also dealt with a fatal road rage incident. Abdirahman Ibrahim was jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years for murdering 22-year-old e-biker Liam Jones, a complete stranger, on Moat Lane, Yardley, on August 1, 2023. Ibrahim deliberately drove into the back of Mr Jones's bike shortly before midnight.
Before sentencing, the victim's family delivered a heart-wrenching statement to Birmingham Crown Court, read by his sister. It said: "Liam was taken from us at just 22 at a time where he should have been living his life to the maximum... We never had the chance to tell him just how much we all loved him. We all woke up that day and had no idea our lives would never be the same again."
The six life sentences handed down in 2025 highlight the judiciary's response to the most grave offences, delivering permanent consequences for acts that have irrevocably damaged lives and communities across Birmingham.
