Graduate victim, 23, of Birmingham stab horror
Wounded friend fighting for life as dramatic dawn raid sees murder suspect arrested in his pyjamas
A VICTIM of the Birmingham knife rampage has been identified as a 23-yearold man who was visiting friends in the city.
Jacob Billington was stabbed near the O2 Academy in a series of attacks in the early hours of Sunday.
Police are questioning a suspect who was held in a dawn raid yesterday. Last night police confirmed one of Mr Billington’s friends, also 23, was fighting for his life in hospital after suffering severe knife wounds.
The two men, from Liverpool, were friends from school who were visiting another friend studying in Birmingham.
Mr Billington studied geography at Sheffield Hallam University before returning to take a job on the university’s graduate intern programme. A friend from the programme said Mr Billington was a ‘lovely guy’ who liked live music.
In a statement released through police last night, Mr Billington’s family said: ‘Jacob was the light of our life and we have been devastated by his loss.
‘He was a funny, caring and wonderful person who was loved by every single person he met. He lit up every room with his boundless energy and witty humour and the loss of such a special person will be felt by all who knew him for years to come.’
The tribute came after West Midlands Police swooped on the suspect at a rented end- of-terrace home in Selly Oak, Birmingham, at 4am. The pyjama-clad suspect was
‘He was the light of our life’
seen ‘ squirming’ as he was bundled into a police car. The 27-yearold remained in custody last night on suspicion of murder and seven counts of attempted murder.
The arrest came after police issued CCTV of the suspect on Sunday night. Two other men and a woman were arrested from the same address on suspicion of assisting an offender.
The West Midlands force has faced increasing criticism over its response to the attack – in which a lone knifeman stabbed eight victims, seemingly at random, at four locations between 12.30am and just after 2am on Sunday – before slipping away.
A woman aged 32 was critically ill last night after the attack, while five others aged between 23 and 33 were less seriously injured.
A witness said the attacker had confronted a victim about chatting to a girl – before plunging a knife into his head. One woman was reportedly stabbed up to seven times in the neck.
Police faced criticism over their failure to stop the attacker and for waiting until Sunday evening to release a description of him.
Labour’s Khalid Mahmood, MP for Perry Barr in Birmingham, said Mr Billington could have been saved if the police response had been more effective.
Police blamed the ‘ unusual route’ taken by the suspect for their failure to stop further attacks. West Midlands police and crime commissioner David Jamieson told Sky News there would be a full inquiry into the response after the suspect managed to ‘slip away into the crowds without being noticed’.