Birmingham Housemate Found Guilty of Murder & Knife Possession After Fatal Small Heath Garden Attack

A man faces a mandatory life sentence after being convicted of stabbing his housemate to death at a shared property in Birmingham.

Abdou Sillah, 24, was found guilty of murder and possession of a bladed article by a jury at Birmingham Crown Court following a trial.

The charges related to an incident on 20 December last year at an address on Swanage Road, Small Heath, where emergency services were called shortly before 6.40pm.

First responders discovered 29-year-old Kiirpal Nhian collapsed in the garden of the property, unresponsive and suffering from a single stab wound to his chest, and he was pronounced dead a short time later.

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A West Midlands Police homicide unit investigation subsequently used CCTV footage to identify Sillah fleeing from the address shortly after the stabbing took place.

Sillah, who had entered a plea of not guilty to both counts, was arrested by police officers a few days later in possession of a knife and wearing clothing matching that seen in the footage.

Detective Inspector Ade George, of the West Midlands Police homicide unit, noted that the defendant had made active attempts to evade detection following the fatal assault.

"There is no doubt that Sillah knew his actions could lead to devastating consequences and by his attempts to hide the murder weapon and fleeing from the address, it showed he had no intent of handing himself in," Detective Inspector George said.

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Sillah was remanded in custody following the verdicts and will return to Birmingham Crown Court for sentencing on 28 September.