Birmingham stabbings: Zephaniah McLeod appears in court

Zephaniah McLeod was remanded in custody

A man has appeared in court charged with murder and seven counts of attempted murder after a series of stabbings in Birmingham.

Zephaniah McLeod, 27, of Nately Grove, Selly Oak, appeared via video link at Birmingham Magistrates' Court.

Jacob Billington, 23, was killed and seven others were injured at four locations across the city centre over a period of 90 minutes on Sunday.

Mr McLeod was remanded in custody and is due at crown court on Thursday.

He spoke only to confirm his personal details during an appearance before two magistrates and was not asked for any pleas. There was no application for bail.

The victims of the attempted murder charges were Dimitar Bachvarov, Migle Dolobauskaite, Thomas Glassey, Michael Callaghan, Shane Rowley, Rhys Cummings and Ryan Bowers, the court was told.

Jacob Billington died of a stab wound to the neck

A post-mortem examination found Mr Billington, a library intern at Sheffield Hallam University and originally from Crosby in Merseyside, died of a stab wound to the neck.

He was among a group of people enjoying a night out while visiting a friend studying in the city.

Floral tributes have been left at the site where Jacob Billington was fatally stabbed

His old school friend Mr Callaghan, also 23 and a fellow band-mate, was seriously injured and remained in hospital in a critical condition on Wednesday.

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A 22-year-old woman, attacked in Hurst Street, was critical but stable in hospital, police said.

Another man, aged 30, was in a stable condition in hospital, while four others have been discharged.

Another tribute said his "light was taken" early

The attacks happened at four different locations across Birmingham city centre

Three people arrested early on Monday in Selly Oak on suspicion of assisting an offender have all been released while inquiries continue, police have said.