Married man fatally stabbed pregnant girlfriend over baby, court hears

A married man fatally stabbed his pregnant girlfriend because their baby was a "complication he was unwilling to accept", a court has heard.

Filmon Andmichaen, 31, denies murdering Liwam Bereket in woodland in Birmingham on 1 August last year. He also denies a charge of child destruction.

Ms Bereket was stabbed in the neck. Her baby was stillborn despite an emergency Caesarean section being carried out.

She was found in bushes and may not have died immediately, jurors heard.

Mr Andmichaen called 999 more than an hour after he allegedly stabbed Ms Bereket, saying he had killed his girlfriend "by mistake" and that he had also tried to kill himself, prosecutor Sandip Patel KC said.

He asked for crews to come to his address and he would show them where she was, despite knowing her condition was "perilous and that time was of the essence".

Although the injury to Ms Bereket's neck was very serious, she would not have died immediately and may have been able to "walk or run around before collapsing", he added.

She was found face down in an overgrown area off Freeth Street, Ladywood, and the caesarean section could not save her baby daughter, the court heard.

The defendant, of Haddon Road in Great Barr, was seen on CCTV after the stabbing walking towards a nearby canal with a bag in his hand.

He was then seen without the bag as he walked back to his car, before heading back towards the canal.

Mr Patel said he may have been trying to get rid of evidence, and the knife used in the stabbing was never found.

"He is seen on CCTV leaving behind wet footprints on the road," Mr Patel said.

"He said to police he tried to kill himself - or did he get wet while trying to get rid of evidence?"

Jurors heard Mr Andmichaen had previously told Ms Bereket to terminate the baby because he already had a wife and children. He had also been seen by neighbours abusing and punching her.

His wife, who came to live with him from Uganda after they met on Facebook in 2021, had no idea about Ms Bereket and said their marriage had been "good".

Ms Bereket's bank cards and phone were found in a bag in the boot of Mr Andmichaen's car after the fatal stabbing which, Mr Patel alleged, was to prevent her seeking help.

"This is a case of grave consequences," he told the court.

"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.

"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."

The trial continues.

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