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Man charged with murder of homeless man

Chloe Hughes & Alex McIntyre
BBC News, West Midlands
BBC A bald man, who is wearing a dark blue coat with the hood down, has his mouth partially open as he stands in front of a wall.BBC
Craig "Yankee" Dean died in hospital after he was attacked in Birmingham

A 23-year-old man has been charged with the murder of a homeless man in Birmingham.

The development came as members of the community in the city's Kings Heath area attended a memorial service for Craig Dean, 53, who was known as Yankee.

He was attacked on Springfield Road, Kings Heath, at about 17:00 BST on 7 July, and died in hospital two days later.

West Midlands Police said Hamza Khan was arrested on Wednesday and had since been charged in connection. He was remanded in custody and due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court on Friday.

Mr Dean, originally from San Diego, California, was said to be popular among the community and would often be seen sitting outside the Asda store in Kings Heath.

Hundreds of people attended a memorial service held for him at New Life Baptist Church in the area on Thursday.

It included eulogies, poems and hymns. A slide show of photos of Mr Dean throughout his life was also shared while his favourite song played - California by Joni Mitchell.

A church full of people sitting on rows of red chairs as they watch a memorial service. Two screens are mounted on the walls either side of the altar. A large organ is visible at the back of the room, in the middle of
Hundreds of people attended a memorial service for Mr Dean

Melanie Johnson-Remy often spoke to Mr Dean when she went shopping at Asda with her dad every Saturday.

She described the gathering as a "very personal service" and said it was "just perfect".

"Craig was always one of those who wanted to help people. He noticed things, he remembered things," she told the BBC.

Three women kneel down next to a number of lit candles on the ground. Behind the candles are a number of bunches of flowers in varying colours.
Candles and floral tributes have been left in memory of Mr Dean

Josephine Hayward described Mr Dean as a "really nice, caring person" as well as a "dear friend".

She said: "He just wanted to live a very blessed, Christian life – get a home, be happy, be blessed.

"Suddenly that's all been ripped from him. It's heartbreaking."

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