Birmingham criminals jailed in April 2026 include a thug who threw his teen girlfriend from a tower block and a husband who poured hot cooking oil over his wife's head. This month featured a number of highly violent offenders being put behind bars.
Paul Young
Paul Young robbed two elderly women and carried out a series of burglaries. In one incident, he targeted a 78-year-old victim in an alleyway, taking her purse. He dragged her along the floor, leaving her with a shattered shoulder and bruises. Five days later, he threatened a woman with a knife and drove off in her car, which he subsequently crashed into another motorist. The 41-year-old from Birmingham admitted two robberies, five burglaries, one attempted burglary, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and theft from a motor vehicle. He was sentenced to ten years and ten months.
Michael Povey
Michael Povey murdered Lee Baker in Rednal by deliberately driving his BMW into him. The 29-year-old then lied to emergency services, claiming his car had been stolen. Mr. Baker, aged 28, and his twin brother had been involved in an earlier argument with three other men. Povey was not present but heard about the incident and went looking for the siblings. He was found guilty of murder and admitted perverting the course of justice. Povey was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 20 years.
Zaynul Shaffi
Zaynul Shaffi made dozens of hoax 999 calls, including claiming a baby had been left on a railway track, prompting a huge police response. He also purported to have been shot and to have drowned his pregnant wife. The 44-year-old from Sparkbrook, along with another man, used different handsets and SIM cards as well as changed accents to cover their tracks. Shaffi was jailed for three years after admitting intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance.
Richard Chisholm
Richard Chisholm stole from the same shop in Perry Barr 16 times, taking more than £1,500 worth of items. The 41-year-old from Great Barr admitted multiple shoplifting offences and was jailed for 48 weeks.
Jordan Herring
Jordan Herring pushed girlfriend Bobbie Goodman out of a fourth-floor window of a tower block in Chelmsley Wood. The 18-year-old victim landed on grass but sustained broken bones to her ribs, pelvis, and spine, as well as two collapsed lungs. Herring delayed his mother, whose flat it was, from calling emergency services by more than an hour. Prior to the incident, he had assaulted Ms. Goodman, isolated her from her family, and accused her of cheating. Herring, then 19 but now 22, was found guilty of unlawful wounding and coercive and controlling behaviour but cleared of attempted murder. He was sentenced to five years with an extended one-year licence period.
Juma Ahmadi
Juma Ahmadi raped a teenage girl and a woman in her 40s. The 46-year-old from Hockley, Birmingham, was found guilty of five counts of rape, three sexual assaults, and one further sexual offence. He was sentenced to 15 years with an extended five-year licence for one set of offences and handed another five-year sentence to run consecutively.
Troy Green
University law student Troy Green secretly filmed more than 460 men and boys using urinals all over Birmingham. He targeted victims at Grand Central station, Birmingham Airport, Rush trampoline park, bars, churches, and a university campus. Green also contacted children over Snapchat and persuaded them to perform 'dares', which included removing their clothing and carrying out sexual acts. The 22-year-old from Soho admitted voyeurism and indecent images offences. He was sentenced to 22 months.
Dongping Xiao
Dongping Xiao ran two brothels in Birmingham. Scantily clad women were found at apartments in Edgbaston and Deritend. Chinese national Xiao, aged 42, was an illegal overstayer in the UK. He pleaded guilty to two charges of running a brothel and was jailed for 12 months.
Mohammed Ali
Mohammed Ali killed Hizar Hanif in a high-speed crash in Handsworth. He was going 90mph on the 30mph Soho Road when he smashed an Audi into the back of a BMW, in which the 32-year-old victim was the front seat passenger. The BMW lunged forward and hit another car, causing injury to that driver. Ali was arrested at the scene but taken to hospital where he kicked and spat at a police officer as well as homophobically abused him. Prior to the collision, he had suffered a relapse of his mental disorder but had put off having an injection to treat it in order to travel to Saudi Arabia for a pilgrimage. Ali, aged 27 from Birchfield, admitted causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and assaulting an emergency worker. He was sentenced to seven years and banned from driving for four years and six months from the point of his release.
Raju Mollah
Raju Mollah poured hot oil over his wife Mosammed Mumtaz's face in a bid to kill her. He launched into the horrifying attack in the kitchen of their home in Small Heath. After tipping the pan of oil over Mrs. Mumtaz's head, he shoved a red hot skillet into her face, bashed her head around, and rammed a mop into her mouth. Mollah tried to lie that his wife suffered an accident. The 50-year-old was found guilty of attempted murder and was sentenced to 26 years.
Catalina Stanciu
Catalina Stanciu took part in a cruel distraction burglary, stealing £25,000 from an elderly man. She and three other women, all wearing head scarves, targeted the victim in his front garden in Handsworth. When they asked if he would sell vegetables he was growing, the kind-hearted man offered them some for free. Stanciu occupied the attention of the man while one of the women sneaked inside his home and took a large amount of cash and jewellery. The 37-year-old from Smethwick admitted burglary and was sentenced to three years and one month.
Razvan Mut
Razvan Mut carried out a ferocious attack on 65-year-old Stephen Watts in the street following a row at the victim's HMO in Handsworth. He stabbed him three times, struck him 67 times with a metal chair leg, as well as punched and kicked him. Mr. Watts went into cardiac arrest but received life-saving treatment at the scene. Tragically, he died a year later from unrelated causes. Mut, aged 35, was cleared of attempted murder but had admitted wounding with intent and possession of an offensive weapon. He was sentenced to 12 years with an extended four-year licence.
Jordan Edwards
Jordan Edwards shot a man in the stomach during a confrontation on a car park in Bartley Green. He remained at large for five months until police tracked him down to an apartment in the Jewellery Quarter in January last year. They arrested him and also found a loaded pistol, £15,000 worth of cocaine, and £10,000 in cash. Edwards, aged 32, was found guilty of wounding with intent as well as offences relating to a firearm, ammunition, drugs, and criminal property. He was sentenced to 14 years and six months.
Mohammed Zahir Khan
Convicted terror offender Mohammed Zahir Khan breached conditions of his release from prison in 2024. The 48-year-old from Alum Rock made online posts expressing support for a proscribed organisation. He also had a smartphone and online accounts which were prohibited. Khan pleaded guilty to expressing an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation, a breach of a Serious Crime Prevention Order, and four breaches of Part 4 Notification requirements under the Counter Terrorism Act 2008. He was sentenced to two years and ten months.
