Two men found guilty of murdering boy at flat

Mpho Obi (left) and Omari Lauder were found guilty of murder

Two men have been found guilty of murdering a 16-year-old boy in what police described as a "ferocious" attack at a flat in Wolverhampton.

Terrell Marshall-Williams was stabbed repeatedly with a "Rambo" knife while at the property on Warnford Walk, Merry Hill, on 18 September.

Omari Lauder, 24, of Wolverhampton Street, Darlaston, and Mpho Obi, 22, of Strathfield Walk, Merry Hill, were found guilty at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday.

They are due to be sentenced on 5 July.

Mr Marshall-Williams was already at the flat with a friend when the two men arrived, armed with the knife.

Police said they stabbed him several times and he died at the scene.

Terrell Marshall-Williams, 16, died at the flat in Wolverhampton

CCTV footage showed Lauder and Obi discarding clothing, drugs and a mobile phone in a nearby field, which was later recovered by officers along with the knife.

West Midlands Police said the two men were then picked up in a taxi that dropped Lauder at his home in Darlaston.

The force said officers found a trail of blood leading to Lauder's front door, after he was injured during the attack. They also found signs that he had tried to self-administer first aid.

A message on Obi's phone showed that he had boasted about stabbing someone, police added.

'Rebuild lives'

Lauder was arrested at Walsall Hospital on 20 September, two days after Obi, after seeking treatment.

Police said he told staff he had been chased by a dog and had impaled himself on a fence.

Obi admitted possessing with intent to supply both heroin and cannabis before the trial, while Lauder was found not guilty of the same charges.

The pair were also found guilty of possessing an offensive weapon, West Midlands Police said.

Det Insp Dan Jarratt said: "No sentence will bring Terrell back, but I hope that his family can now begin to rebuild the next part of their lives.

"West Midlands Police is working tirelessly to tackle knife crime and I implore the public to work with us to achieve this."

The force area has the highest rate of knife crime in England, according to the latest official figures.

Correction 20 May 2024: This article previously said a message boasting about the stabbing was found on Lauder's phone. This is wrong as the message was found on Obi's phone.