Man admits killing university worker and injuring seven people in Birmingham stabbing spree

Jacob Billington, 23, died after being stabbed in the neck in September 2020

Zephaniah McLeod has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of university worker Jacob Billington (pictured) who was stabbed to death in Birmingham city centre in September 2020 (West Midlands Police)

A man has admitted killing a university worker and injuring seven others in a series of knife attacks in Birmingham city centre.

Zephaniah McLeod entered pleas at Birmingham Crown Court in connection with the spate of stabbings in the early hours of 6 September last year as the city was packed with revellers.

The 28-year-old, who appeared in court over a video link from Ashworth Hospital on Monday wearing a white T-shirt and dark blue zip-up top, spoke to confirm his name and that he understood proceedings, before entering pleas.

In addition to the charge of manslaughter, McLeod pleaded guilty to four counts of attempted murder and three charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

McLeod, of Nately Grove, Selly Oak, had been in custody since being charged with committing the attacks, which happened in the space of 90 minutes.

Jacob Billington, a Sheffield Hallam University graduate intern and drummer, was fatally stabbed in the neck during the spree.

The 23-year-old, from Crosby, Merseyside, was among eight people knifed during the attacks which triggered a major emergency services response.

His family were present in court and over the video-link to hear the pleas of McLeod, whom the court heard suffered with paranoid schizophrenia.

Seven others were injured in four clusters of attacks across the city centre, including Mr Billington’s old school friend and bandmate Michael Callaghan.

Court artist sketch of Zephaniah McLeod dated September 2020 (Elizabeth Cook/PA)

Prosecutor Karim Khalil QC told the court the guilty and not guilty pleas were acceptable to the prosecution.

He said: “The psychiatrists instructed by both the Crown and the defence concluded in agreement with one another that the defendant clearly suffered from a condition of paranoid schizophrenia at the time of the material events.

“It was unquestionably a condition which affected his ability to understand all that was going on.”

The Recorder of Birmingham Judge Melbourne Inman QC said of the stabbings: “There are many people touched and affected by the case.

“The hearing this morning may appear to be disproportionately short given the very grave seriousness of the case.

“But it’s quite clear that the Crown and the defence have given very careful expert consideration of the evidence.”

McLeod will be sentenced on 27 and 28 September.

Additional reporting by Press Association