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Meshack Bernard-Brown

Age: 20

Sex: male

Date: 1 Jan 2006

Place: Melbourne Avenue, Newtown

Meshack Bernard-Brown was shot at a party. Three men were convicted for his murder but their convictions were later quashed and replaced for convictions for violent disorder.

He was shot at a party for his 20th birthday in Melbourne Avenue, Newtown with a 12-bore shotgun. Two shots had been fired through the door to the house by some people in a car.

Three people were convicted for his murder, however, the judge later ruled that none of the three men that had been convicted for his murder had been the man that had fired the shot that had killed Meshack Bernard-Brown and they were acquitted.

It was noted that one of the men that had been at the scene and spotted on CCTV had made a very hurried departure to Pakistan on the day after the killing and had still not been arrested or tried.

The shooting was said to have been in retaliation for two earlier stabbings in Lozells when two Asian men were stabbed. One man had been stabbed in the groin in Lime Grove and another slashed on the leg with a machete in Archibald Road. It was said that several Asians had gone from Frances Road, along Burbury Street and into the Newtown area which had a significant black population where they appear to have chosen a house at random to shoot at.

The judge said that there was no evidence that Meshack Bernard-Brown had been involved with the shootings and that it was possibly a case of mistaken identity.

The three men that had been convicted of his murder were convicted after three trials, the first two of which the jury were unable to agree a verdict. At the appeal the judge had said that although the fourth suspect was not in court and was thought to be in Pakistan, the jury would have to have been certain that it was he that had pulled the trigger, else the murder charge against the three previously committed would be unsafe.

At their third trial the judge had said 'You were involved in an offence which I am quite satisfied was racially aggravated. I have no doubt you set off to attack any member of the black community you could find in a vulnerable situation. You took no steps to investigate whether the people who were having a birthday party outside in the street had anything to do with the offence. You were to find a black man who could carry the can for other black men who had caused injury to your friends and relatives.'.


*map pointers are rough estimates based on known location details as per Place field above.

see www.birminghammail.co.uk

see BBC

see BBC Three guilty of birthday murder

see BBC Murder convictions are overturned

see The Asian Today

see Birmingham Mail

see BBC

see Ligali

see Birmingham Post