Neil Williams
1965 – 2007
Stirchley, Birmingham
Perpetrators
Neil Williams, a 41-year-old man from Telford, Shropshire, was murdered on 5 April 2007 during a violent mugging as he walked home from a local pub.
He was grabbed in a headlock, robbed, and left dying on a footpath near his home in Calcott, Stirchley. He was described by family as a “gentle giant.”
His killers were two South African men living illegally in Wolverhampton (visas expired): Jabu Mbowane and Gabriel Bhengu.
They targeted vulnerable people (often those affected by drink) in a series of seven robberies in the West Midlands and Shropshire area.
Bhengu was convicted of two murders (including Andrew’s and another victim, Neil Williams, 41, killed 10 before later in Stirchley), while Mbowane was convicted of one murder.
Both were jailed for life at Wolverhampton Crown Court in May 2008 with a minimum term of 30 years and recommended for deportation afterward.
A third person, Kashia Allen, was convicted of manslaughter in one of the deaths and robberies.
Rest in peace Neil. You will not be forgotten.