Man Sentenced to Prison for Murder and Child Destruction

A married individual has been convicted of murder and child destruction after fatally stabbing his pregnant girlfriend. Filmon Andmichaen, aged 31, murdered Liwam Bereket, 26, who was 27 weeks pregnant, on 1 August of the previous year. The incident occurred in a wooded area adjacent to Freeth Street in Ladywood, Birmingham. Ms. Bereket sustained a stab wound to her neck. Her baby was stillborn, even after an emergency Caesarean section was performed. The court was informed that her unborn child represented “a complication he was unwilling to accept.” Previously, at Birmingham Crown Court, Andmichaen received a sentence of at least 27 years in prison. Her family described Ms Kereket as “a beautiful soul.” The jury reached unanimous guilty verdicts following deliberations that lasted almost three and a half hours. This marked Andmichaen’s second trial, as the initial proceedings in March had collapsed due to unresolved matters concerning the child destruction charge. The Court of Appeal subsequently resolved these issues, allowing the charge to remain on the indictment presented to jurors in the second trial, which commenced earlier this month. During the first trial, it was revealed that Andmichaen, residing on Haddon Road in Great Barr, contacted 999 approximately one and a half hours after Ms. Bereket was believed to have been stabbed. He informed the call handler that he had killed his girlfriend “by mistake” and had also attempted suicide. Prosecutor Sandip Patel KC informed the jury that Andmichaen requested officers be dispatched to his residence before guiding them to Ms. Bereket’s location, despite being aware of her “perilous” condition. Ms. Bereket was found lying face down, bleeding from her neck, within an area of overgrown bushes. An emergency Caesarean section was performed at this location in an attempt to save her baby girl. Mr. Patel stated that while the neck injury was severe, she would not have succumbed immediately and might have been capable of “walking or running around before collapsing.” Evidence presented at trial indicated she exhibited some signs of life two hours following the stabbing. Subsequent to her death, Ms. Bereket’s bank cards and phone were discovered in a bag within the boot of Andmichaen’s vehicle, bearing his fingerprints. Mr. Patel asserted, “He took her phone, which we say was intended to prevent her seeking help as we know timely medical intervention may have saved her life.” “Filmon Andmichaen made a chilling decision, he decided the life growing inside his girlfriend was a complication he was unwilling to accept.” “He decided his solution to this was a permanent one.” Reports indicated that Ms. Bereket had been enjoying her pregnancy, but she became distressed when Andmichaen requested she undergo an abortion. Her friends had expressed concerns regarding Andmichaen’s verbally abusive and threatening behavior. A neighbor informed police that they had witnessed him punching her in the face several months prior to the stabbing. Andmichaen’s wife, who had moved from Uganda to live with him, testified to police that she was unaware of the affair and described their marriage as “good.” They had married in 2022, having met on Facebook in September 2021. CCTV surveillance footage showed Andmichaen proceeding toward a nearby canal carrying a bag subsequent to the stabbing. He was later observed without the bag as he returned to his white Toyota Yaris, before altering his direction and heading back towards the canal. The knife employed in the stabbing was never recovered. Mr. Patel suggested that Andmichaen might have been attempting to dispose of evidence. He was also observed returning to the scene accompanied by his brother, who later informed police of his concern upon seeing Andmichaen in wet clothing. The brother stated that he had urged Andmichaen to contact 999 if he had committed an offense. Andmichaen was present in the dock, accompanied by an interpreter who translated the court proceedings into Tigrinya, a language spoken in East Africa. Mr. Justice Choudhury, the presiding judge, stated that Andmichaen had displayed no remorse for his actions and had attempted to place blame on Ms. Bereket, claiming she had threatened to stab herself. Furthermore, he had sought to deny paternity of her child and had demanded both a DNA test and an abortion. The judge declared, “I find your intention at that moment could only have been to end her life and that of her unborn child.” “Her attempts to get you to assume responsibility for the child caused you to lash out in frustration.” A statement from Ms. Bereket’s family, read aloud in court, conveyed that her death had “shattered” their lives and left them “forever changed.” They further stated, “She was not just a daughter and sister, she was a beautiful soul full of life, laughter and love. She bought joy to everyone around her and was kind-hearted and compassionate.” “Remember her not just as a victim but as a person who loved and was loved.”