Murderer who stabbed eight people downtown gets life in jail

Man who stabbed eight people in stabbing spree has been jailed for life. Zephaniah McLeod killed university graduate Jacob Billington and injured seven other strangers in a horrific 90-minute rampage in Birmingham city center on September 6 last year.

Murderer who stabbed eight people downtown gets life in jail

The 28-year-old, who has paranoid schizophrenia, received a minimum sentence of 21 years in prison today, Birmingham Live reports.

Addressing the defendant at the city’s crown court, Judge Sir Edward Pepperall said he used “significant force” to stab his victims and described the offences as a “murderous rampage”.

A section 45A hospital order was also issued, meaning McLeod will be detained at Ashworth Hospital to receive treatment for his mental disorder.

McLeod had told witnesses to “watch this” before a stabbing and told them “you will have a wound” to another victim, which the judge felt showed he “understood the effects” of his actions.

Tragic victim Jacob, 23, died after being attacked while enjoying a night out with school friends.

An autopsy concluded that he died as a result of a stab wound to the neck.

McLeod’s victims

McLeod had approached his first victim, Dimitar Bachvarov, on Constitution Hill at 12.20 a.m. and asked him for a cigarette before stabbing him in the neck with a knife and running away.

About 20 minutes later, on Livery Street, the defendant stabbed Migle Dolobauskaite in the left side of the neck and shoulder.

The third victim, Thomas Glassey, was on Barwick Street when McLeod stabbed him twice and left him in critical condition.

The knife used by the defendant was later found in a nearby drain.

McLeod then went to a pizza restaurant and tried to get another knife.

After his request for a knife was refused, he took a cab back to his home and there was footage of him arriving there at 1.39am.

McLeod was inside the property for about four minutes and then police found a box of knives at the address.

He then returned to the city center to search for more victims.

He stabbed Jacob and Michael Callaghan who were with a group of friends and had returned to a hotel after a night out.

McLeod used the same cigarette excuse before stabbing Jacob in the neck and shoulder.