Married man stabbed pregnant girlfriend to death after she refused to get abortion

A married man stabbed his pregnant girlfriend to death because the baby was a ‘complication he was unwilling to accept’.

Filmon Andmichaen, 31, has been jailed for life for murdering Liwam Bereket, 26, in a Birmingham woodland on August 1 last year.

Despite morning sickness and a volatile relationship with with Mr Andmichaenm, Ms Bereket was happy about her pregnancy 27 weeks in.

But Mr Andmichaen was not. He already had children with his wife who moved from Uganda to live within him after they met on Facebook in September 2021.

He denied he was the father of Ms Bereket’s baby, insisted on a DNA test and demanded she get an abortion, but she refused.

It was at this point ‘Andmichaen made a chilling decision ‘, prosecutor Sandip Patel KC told the court.

‘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.’

Ms Bereket’s friends were already concerned about Mr Andmichaen’s threatening and abusive behaviour.

A neighbour told police he saw the murderer punch Ms Bereket in the face months before.

Now, what Judge Mr Justice Choudhury described as a ‘volatile’ relationship took an even more sinister turn.

Ms Bereket’s family described her as ‘a beautiful soul full of life, laughter and love’ – and Mr Andmichaen killed her.

Ms Bereket was planning to visit a friend when Mr Andmichaen picked her up, took her to a woodland off Freeth Street, Ladywood, and stabbed her in the neck.

She would be found face down, bleeding from the neck in an area of overgrown bushes. Her baby was born stillborn through an emergency caesarean section carried out to try and save it.

Mr Andmichaen ‘said the death of Ms Bereket and his child was a terrible accident and not deliberate’, Mr Patel told the court.

But he took her phone, preventing her from calling for help, while she lay in the grass dying for an hour and a half before he 999 at 9.45pm.

In the meantime, he could be seen on CCTV walking towards a nearby canal carrying a bag, possibly to dispose of the knife, which has never been found, Mr Patel suggested.

He also returned to the scene of the stabbing with his brother, who later told police he was concerned by the sight of Andmichaen in wet clothes and urged him to call 999 if he had committed a crime.

When he finally did, Mr Andmichaen told the call handler he had killed his girlfriend ‘by mistake’ and had also tried to kill himself.

He also asked for officers to attend his address, from where he would lead them to Ms Bereket, even though, as Mr Patel put it, he ‘must have known Liwam’s condition was perilous and that time was of the essence’.

Mr Patel said: ‘Ms Bereket did not die instantly, and in fact showed some signs of life two hours after being wounded, but the defendant did not call for help.

‘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.

‘We say the defendant knew his actions would amount to the death of them both.

‘He couldn’t possibly have Liwam alive because she would identify him as the person who tried to kill her and he delayed in calling for help and disposed of the knife which would have had his DNA and her blood on it.

‘This is a case of grave consequences. It ended the life of a young, innocent woman and the unborn child she nourished inside her. The facts are as simple as they are gruesome.’

A jury took less than three and a half hours of deliberation before returning unanimous guilty verdicts -on both the charge of murder, and of child desruction.

Judge Choudhury said he had no doubt that Andmichaen, who kept his head down in the dock, had intended to end Ms Bereket’s life and that of her unborn daughter.

Addressing the killer, the judge said: ‘On the day of the incident she was happy and looking forward to visiting a friend. You knew she was heavily pregnant. You picked her up, she wanted to talk.

‘You’re wholly unable to explain how that wound to her neck happened. We cannot know what really happened but the truth is, you were responsible for the injuries she suffered. The wound to the neck was deliberate.

‘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.

‘Your actions were callous and cowardly. You could have called 999 immediately, but it was better for you if she did not live to tell the world what happened and you left her there to die.

‘By your actions you have not only destroyed the lives of a woman and unborn child, but her family’s.’

In a statement read to the court, Ms Bereket’s family said the loss of their daughter and sister ‘shattered our lives in ways that are beyond words’.

They said: ‘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.

‘We are forever changed and haunted by the nagging question of why this happened. Every day we have sat to try and find answers as to why he did this terrible thing.

‘Remember her not just as a victim but as a person who loved and was loved. She brought love and light into our lives and we miss her dearly every single day.’

He said Mr Andmichaen showed no remorse for the murder of a girlfriend he held ‘in low regard’.

With the only mitigating factor being his lack of any previous convictions, the judge sentenced Mr Andmichaen, of Haddon Road in Great Barr, to a life sentence with a minimum of 27 years, minus the 482 days already spent on remand.

This was the Mr Andmichaen’s second trial the first collapsed in March due to issues surrounding the child destruction charge.

The issue was resolved by the Court of Appeal and remained on the indictment that was put before jurors in the second trial.

Speaking after sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Jim Colclough said: ‘It’s just heart-breaking that a young woman who was looking forward to becoming a mum was killed in such a callous way.

‘This was a very distressing investigation for my team, but they have been determined to get justice for Liwam and her family.

‘Andmichaen has shown no remorse for his actions and has caused Liwam’s family further pain by putting them through a trial.

‘Andmichaen’s actions led to Liwam and her unborn baby girl’s death.

‘I Hope the result today brings Liwam’s family some peace in knowing that the person who killed their daughter and her baby will serve many years in prison.

‘Violence against women and girls is unacceptable and won’t be tolerated. We know there is still more work to do, and it remains a priority for us.

‘We’ll continue working alongside our partners, to ensure everyone feels safe in the West Midlands.’

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