"Two Men Found Guilty of Murdering 16-Year-Old Boy at Wolverhampton Flat"

Hi and welcome to this Jason King B'ham Insight for VPN: REGIONAL NETWORK:

Two men have been found guilty of the brutal murder of a 16-year-old boy at a Wolverhampton flat. Terrell Marshall-Williams was stabbed eight times with a Rambo knife at a property on Warnford Walk, Merry Hill, on the afternoon of September 18 last year.

Omari Lauder, 24, of Wolverhampton Street, Darlaston, and Mpho Obi, 22, of Strathfield Walk, Merry Hill, were both found guilty of murder following a three-week trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court. They had denied the charges of murder and possessing an offensive weapon but were convicted on both counts.

The court heard how Lauder and Obi had visited the flat, described as a "crack den", on the evening of September 18, "presumably with the intention of buying, selling or stealing drugs". They arrived armed with a large Rambo knife.

Terrell was at the location with a friend. Lauder and Obi carried out a ferocious attack, stabbing Terrell multiple times and leaving him to die.

Paramedics arrived and performed CPR on Terrell, but despite their efforts, he died at the scene.

The victim had fought back, stabbing with a knife, and Lauder sustained injuries.

Following the murder, the two men were picked up by a taxi, with CCTV showing Lauder being dropped off at his home on Wolverhampton Street, Darlaston. Officers found a trail of blood leading to the front door of the address, where signs indicated that Lauder had attempted to self-administer first aid.

Obi was arrested on September 18. Lauder was arrested at Walsall Hospital two days later, where he was seeking treatment. He claimed to hospital staff that he had been chased by a dog and had impaled himself on a fence.

CCTV footage showed Lauder and Obi in the area where the murder took place, discarding clothing, drugs, and a mobile phone in a nearby field. Officers recovered these items and found the blood-stained Rambo knife.

Detective Inspector Dan Jarratt, who led the investigation, stated, "These two men went to the address armed with a large knife and carried out a ferocious attack on Terrell, who was just 16 years of age. He was stabbed multiple times and left to die in the flat. Officers worked hard on this tragic case and are pleased we have secured justice for Terrell and his family."

He added, "No sentence will bring Terrell back, but I hope that his family can now begin to rebuild the next part of their lives. This case is yet another reminder of the deadly consequences of carrying knives. West Midlands Police is working tirelessly to tackle knife crime and I implore the public to work with us to achieve this."

Obi had admitted possessing with intent to supply both heroin and cannabis before the trial, while Lauder was found not guilty of the same charges.

Lauder and Obi will be sentenced on July 1.

Well, that’s all for now. But until our next article, please stay tuned, stay informed, but most of all stay safe, and I’ll see you then.

Jason King

Birmingham City-Desk

Twitter (X) @JasonKingNews

Jasonkingnews@gmail.com