For many, home is a sanctuary, a place of safety away from the troubles of the outside world. Tragically, for some residents living in Birmingham's Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), that fundamental security has been violently shattered. In 2025, Birmingham Crown Court dealt with several harrowing cases where tenants lost their lives within the very walls meant to protect them.
A fatal row over a broken television
In a case that highlighted how quickly disputes can turn deadly, Andrew Behan killed his friend, Francis Leitner, at their HMO on Wyrley Road in Aston. The violence followed a 12-hour drinking session and an argument over a broken television.
CCTV footage captured the brutal assault, which began with Behan headbutting the 45-year-old victim outside an off-licence. The attack continued back at their shared home, where Behan repeatedly punched and elbowed Leitner. Francis Leitner died from his injuries several days later.
At a hearing at Birmingham Crown Court on November 1, 2025, Andrew Behan pleaded guilty to manslaughter. He was sentenced to six years and seven months in prison.
Murder and a callous spending spree
In another chilling case, the body of Anthony Sharma was discovered by his landlady at an HMO on Doidge Road in Erdington. The grim find was made at around 1pm on November 10, 2023.
Fellow tenant Diogo Bettencourt was later charged with his murder. In a trial at Birmingham Crown Court last month, a jury took less than two hours to find Bettencourt guilty. The court heard that after the killing, Bettencourt had used his victim's bank card during a spending spree.
Bettencourt, who appeared in the dock wearing a hooded jacket and flanked by mental health support workers, showed no visible reaction to the verdict. Earlier this month, he was jailed for more than 11 years.
A kitchen knife attack in Acocks Green
The third case involved a lethal stabbing at an HMO on Warwick Road in Acocks Green. On February 1, 2025, longstanding 'bad blood' between two neighbours erupted into fatal violence.
Mohammed Ibrhim, 45, plunged a knife into the stomach of 60-year-old Morteza Ajdani in the property's kitchen. Ibrhim pleaded guilty to murder on the day his trial was due to begin.
At Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, Mohammed Ibrhim was sentenced to life imprisonment. He must serve a minimum term of 16 years and eight months before being considered for parole.
These three separate tragedies, all occurring within Birmingham's Houses in Multiple Occupation, raise profound questions about tenant safety and the support systems in place for vulnerable individuals living in shared accommodation. The courts have delivered justice, but the stories leave a lasting shadow over the concept of home for many in the city.
