A Birmingham thug who fatally attacked his friend at a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) and then went out drinking has been found dead in prison. Andrew Behan, 41, died at HMP Stoke Heath in Shropshire on March 29, 2026, and an investigation into the circumstances is underway.
Behan had been jailed for six years and seven months in November last year after admitting manslaughter. He initially headbutted 45-year-old Francis Leitner outside an off-licence before repeatedly punching and elbowing him at their shared HMO on Wyrley Road in Aston. The victim suffered a bleed on the brain and died in hospital two days later.
The attack
On December 21, 2024, Mr Leitner attended Good Hope Hospital for medical issues. A taxi picked him and Behan up and took them to a Select Xpress off-licence, where Mr Leitner bought 11 cans of beer. CCTV captured the first attack outside the shop as Behan grabbed and headbutted him. He then shoved him against a car and headbutted him a second time.
They returned to the taxi and argued during the journey home. The taxi driver became concerned and called the police after dropping them off. Back at the Wyrley Road address, CCTV recorded Mr Leitner saying: "I'm going to call the police. I thought you were my friend." Behan replied: "You're not my friend. You wouldn't give me £40 to buy a phone and smashed up my TV."
Aftermath
Behan went out drinking after the attacks and was arrested upon his return. Mr Leitner, a Brazilian national, had earlier called his son and said: "You will be contacted if I'm dead." Doctors found he had a bleed on the brain that could not be treated, and his life support was switched off on December 23, 2024. A post-mortem revealed the cause of death as a head injury due to a subdural haemorrhage.
At Birmingham Crown Court, it was stated that Behan was remorseful and had tackled his alcohol addiction in custody, becoming a mentor to other inmates. A Prison Service spokesman said: "As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate."
