This month featured a number of tragic cases concerning preventable deaths in Birmingham. From the killer Uber Eats driver to the man who beat his carer to death with a brick, here are the latest high-profile offenders sentenced to immediate imprisonment in May 2026.
Altafin Poenaru, Sorin Condrache and Marian Agarlita
Three men were caught red-handed trying to steal underground BT cabling in Birmingham city centre. They cut seven cables containing nearly 8,000 phone and internet lines serving the area. The raid risked causing havoc across the city and cost BT Openreach more than £96,000 to fix the damage, which took weeks. Poenaru, aged 49, and Condrache, 45, from Smethwick, as well as Agarlita, 37, from the Isle of Wight, admitted theft and were each jailed for three years.
Jeheim Wilson, Lamar Anderson and Kaine Dowe
Lamar Anderson shot a 15-year-old boy in the back in a case of mistaken identity in Balsall Heath. He and friends Jeheim Wilson and Kaine Dowe had gone out looking for someone who was involved in a confrontation with Anderson around 30 minutes earlier. The innocent boy suffered broken bones to his spine and a wound to his lung, leaving him with ongoing issues with pain, walking and sleeping. Anderson, aged 22, from Selly Oak, was jailed for 16 years after admitting affray, wounding with intent and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life. Wilson, aged 25, from Balsall Heath, was sentenced to six years and six months after pleading guilty to a lesser firearm offence, while Dowe, 24, from Erdington, received six years for confessing to the same charge.
Duane Thomas
Duane Thomas stole an e-scooter after trying to pay for it with fake money. The seller met him in Shawbury Grove but tried to leave when he saw the counterfeit cash. Thomas simply took the item anyway. When police went to his home, they also found a taser. Thomas, aged 37, of Hall Green, was jailed for seven years after he admitted theft, possession of counterfeit money, possession of a disguised firearm and possession of a firearm.
Simon Grebengus
Simon Grebengus killed Berhane Tsegay by pushing him down the stairs at Sebene Habesha nightclub in Newtown. The victim, aged 33, who was a church deacon, suffered a catastrophic head injury and died in hospital three days later. Prior to the attack, Grebengus stamped on Mr Tsegay's head while he was involved in a fight with another man. The 44-year-old admitted manslaughter and was jailed for six years.
Wahidullah Hotak
Wahidullah Hotak raped a woman in a shop where he was working after she came in looking to use the toilet. The victim had been out drinking that night and was vulnerable. Hotak, aged 18, from Handsworth, is an Afghan national who came into the UK in 2023 and has had one claim for asylum rejected. He was found guilty of one charge of rape and was jailed for seven years.
Sahil Ali, Luqman Yusuf and Abdirahmaan Hussein
Sahil Ali, Luqman Yusuf and Abdirahmaan Hussein tried to rob a man of his keys and money in Small Heath. Police found a shotgun, knives and drugs in subsequent searches of an address and vehicle. Yusuf, aged 23, from Yardley, was jailed for 13 years and two months after admitting attempted robbery and additional offences in relation to drugs and weapons. Ali, 19, of Bordesley Green, received 10 years and two months for confessing to similar offences. Hussein, 23, from Small Heath, admitted robbery and weapons offences but nothing linked to drugs. He was sentenced to eight years in his absence and remains at large.
Musa Abdrabba
Musa Abdrabba was a self-appointed 'media activist' for Islamic State and had instructions on how to make a bomb on his phone. The 23-year-old from Balsall Heath was jailed for six years after he pleaded guilty to two charges of belonging to a proscribed organisation.
James Gray and Sharif Cousins
James Gray drove Sharif Cousins and another man to a street in Willenhall in order for one of them to shoot at a home. One bullet broke a window and went through the kitchen while another was aimed at the car on the driveway. A family, including children, were inside asleep at the time but it is not known why the address was targeted. Gray, aged 28, from Erdington, was jailed for nine and a half years after being found guilty of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life. Cousins, aged 50, from Sutton Coldfield, was jailed for 12 years after being convicted of the same offence.
Harinderpal Athwal
Uber Eats driver Harinderpal Athwal fell asleep at the wheel and mowed down a couple on Handsworth's Soho Road. He woke up after colliding with a parked car and then reversed back over 54-year-old Jatinder Verma, who was killed. The victim's wife Bandana Verma was left seriously injured at the scene, which Athwal drove away from. He had been working for Uber Eats for several months, including night shifts, but was not on duty at the time of the collision, having just dropped off his children at school. Athwal, aged 41, from Oldbury, admitted causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving. He also pleaded guilty to further offences in relation to being banned from driving, uninsured, leaving the scene of an accident and failing to report it. He was jailed for 11 years and three months and was banned from driving for 20 years from the point of his release.
David Walsh
David Walsh battered his carer Irene Mbugua to death with a brick. He then moved the 46-year-old's body into his kitchen, where he tried to block access by upending a sofa and leaning it against the door. When police discovered her body, it was partially covered in debris from the ceiling which had collapsed due to the bathroom being flooded directly above. Walsh, aged 35, has schizophrenia. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility as well as four charges of assaulting emergency workers. He was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 12 years.
Nam Le
Nam Le was caught in possession of £140,000 worth of drugs. Police raided his home in Lloyd Road, Handsworth and found cannabis in a wardrobe as well as in suitcases and bags contained in a van parked nearby. Around £9,000 in cash was also seized. Le, aged 30, was jailed for two years and nine months for drug supply and criminal property offences.
'Silver' drugs line gang
Five men from Birmingham were involved in the supply of around £730,000 worth of heroin and crack cocaine in the West Midlands. They operated the so-called 'silver' line which was busted by police in 2024. Abkar Tareq, aged 28, received the longest sentence of eight years and 11 months. Adil Ali Shah, 27, was jailed for seven years and nine months while Muzammel Rehman, 25, received seven years. Ihsan Mahmood, 23, was sentenced to six years and nine months while Shirajul Miah, 52, was handed two years and eight months.
Luke Edmonds
Luke Edmonds posed as a teenager on Snapchat in order to groom girls all over the UK and meet them for sex. Police raided his home in Birmingham and found a phone containing images of him engaging in sexual activity with children. There were more than 700 indecent images and videos relating to four separate girls aged between 13 and 15. Edmonds, aged 25, from Rubery, was convicted of child sexual activity, communication and indecent images offences. He was sentenced to 15 years and seven months.
Sharhad Rahmani
Sharhad Rahmani bit part of a man's ear off during a group attack upon the victim inside Spices takeaway on Soho Road, Handsworth. The 40-year-old admitted unlawful wounding and was sentenced to three years and seven months. He is likely facing being deported back to Iran upon his release from prison. Rahmani blasted the judge calling him a 'f****** m***** f*****' as he was ordered down to the court cells.
Keane Carter
Keane Carter attacked a man at a bar in Birmingham's Broad Street inflicting serious head injuries to the victim. Police went looking for him and when they searched his home in Pendrell Close, Fordbridge they found a sawn-off shotgun. Carter, aged 25, admitted unlawful wounding and possessing a firearm. He was sentenced to five years and 11 months.
Jayden Brown, Andre Sargeant, Kymani Brade, Max Campbell and Remone Dunkley
Five men were involved in the operation of three drugs networks being run out of Birmingham. They were known as the 'Mario, Luigi and Cam' lines and were being operated from Highgate between October 2024 and February 2025. All five confessed to drug supply offences. Andre Sargeant, aged 28, was jailed for six years and nine months. Jayden Brown, aged 24, was sentenced to six years and six months, while Kymani Brade, 25, received five years and nine months. Max Campbell, aged 29, was jailed for five years while Remone Dunkley, 25, was handed four years.
