January 2026 has concluded with a significant number of dangerous offenders from Birmingham being removed from the streets and sentenced to substantial prison terms. The courts have dealt with a wide spectrum of criminality, from violent public disorder and armed attacks to sophisticated financial crimes and sexual offences.
A Month of Major Convictions
The following individuals were among those handed immediate custodial sentences during the first month of the year, reflecting the serious nature of their crimes and the commitment of West Midlands Police and the Crown Prosecution Service to securing convictions.
Violent Offenders and Organised Crime
Philip Duffield, a 25-year-old from Solihull, was jailed for 12 years after being found guilty of two counts of rape and one count of assault by penetration. His crimes involved targeting young women in Shrewsbury and Birmingham, with one victim having her drink spiked.
Thomas Sweeney Senior and Junior, a father and son, were finally brought to justice after being on the run for over a year. They had been involved in a large-scale violent disorder incident in Birmingham's Gay Village in 2023. Thomas Junior, now 19, received an additional two months on top of a 28-month sentence, while Thomas Senior, 44, received an extra three months on top of two years and ten months.
Five Birmingham men – Shamus Hussain (27), Mohammed Ishtiaq (23), Abdullah Amjad (23), Samir Khan (19), and Dilawar Khan (20) – were collectively jailed for more than 65 years. They admitted conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm with intent and firearm offences related to a shotgun attack on a father in Darlaston.
In a separate case of street violence in Stechford, five men were sentenced for their roles in an incident that involved firearms and led to one of them being shot. Eessa Alam (21) received 27 years for two counts of attempted murder, while Casiim Montgomery (23) was jailed for 22 years. Three others received shorter sentences for violent disorder and weapon offences.
Robberies with Tragic Consequences
Tony Griffin (54) and Wesley McDonnell (46) were each jailed for 15 years for the attempted robbery and manslaughter of 83-year-old Neil O'Donnell in Hall Green. The victim died from complications after an infection set in from an arm injury sustained during the attempt to steal his watch.
Craig Holden (43) from Hall Green was sentenced to around six and a half years after admitting to slashing and robbing a 72-year-old man in Edgbaston and burgling a dental clinic the following day.
Dangerous Driving and Fatal Collisions
Described as one of the worst dangerous drivers the city has seen, Saqlane Zafar (28) was jailed for 15 years for causing death by dangerous driving. He killed 21-year-old Ryan Sandhu on the Aston Expressway while driving a rented high-powered Audi at 91mph after consuming alcohol and nitrous oxide. His friend, Muhammad Hamza (29), who drove him from the scene, was convicted of dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice, receiving four years and six months.
Blackmail, Terrorism, and Financial Crime
Twaha Kaana (27) from Sparkbrook was sentenced to five and a half years for terrorising a young couple in Rednal and driving them from their flat in a £10,000 blackmail scam. He had threatened them with violence, including claims of using a crossbow and blowing up a car.
Adam Mahmood (20), a TikToker from Sheldon with over 27,000 followers, was jailed for four years after being found guilty of possessing a bomb-making instructional video. Police also discovered an arsenal of medieval weapons in his bedroom.
Shazad Jahan (45) from Bordesley Green was part of a money laundering operation that processed £17 million in a single year. He directed the scheme via a WhatsApp group and was sentenced to five years and five months.
Other Notable Sentences
Lewis Whitsey (34) was jailed for two years and two months after admitting unlawful wounding. He attacked a dog walker with a chainsaw on Gospel Lane near Acocks Green during a dispute between dogs, though the tool was deactivated upon impact, causing only a cut.
Bong Bui (24) received four years and six months for possession with intent to supply class A and B drugs after police stopped his car in Chinatown and seized £15,000 worth of illegal substances.
Jerome Blackburn from Edgbaston was sentenced to seven years for historical child sex offences, including two counts of raping a child under 13, committed in the late 2000s.
Liam Moore (20), a showoff burglar who filmed himself raiding homes and stealing £300,000 worth of cars, posting the evidence to Snapchat, was jailed for nine years for 13 burglaries and 14 car thefts in Birmingham and Solihull.
These cases underscore the varied and severe criminal activity addressed by the justice system in Birmingham at the start of 2026, with sentences totalling well over a century in prison time.
