A MARRIED man who stabbed his pregnant girlfriend to death has been jailed for murder.

Filmon Andmichaen was found guilty of murder and child destruction after he stabbed 26-year-old Liwam Bereket because their unborn baby was “a complication he was unwilling to accept”, Birmingham Crown Court heard.

Ms Bereket was 27 weeks pregnant when she was found face down and bleeding from the neck in an area of woodland off Freeth Street, Ladywood.

Jurors deliberated for nearly three-and-a-half hours before returning unanimous guilty verdicts to both charges on Wednesday, November 27 at Andmichaen’s second trial.

His first trial collapsed in March due to issues surrounding the child destruction count, which were resolved by the Court of Appeal.

The first trial heard that Andmichaen, of Haddon Road, Great Barr,  called 999 on August 1, 2023 an hour-and-a-half after Ms Bereket was stabbed and told the call handler he had killed his girlfriend “by mistake” and had also tried to kill himself.

Andmichaen asked the call handler to send officers to his address and said he would show them where she was.

He was captured on CCTV walking towards a nearby canal with a bag after the stabbing and also returned to the scene with his brother, who later told police he was concerned after seeing Andmichaen with wet clothes and urged him to call 999 if he had committed a crime.

The court heard that Andmichaen had previously told Ms Bereket to terminate her pregnancy because he already had a wife and children, which left her upset.

Andmichaen’s wife, who came to live with him in Haddon Road from Uganda after they married in January 2022, had no idea about Ms Bereket and said their marriage had been “good”.

Friends of Ms Bereket had been concerned that Andmichaen was verbally abusive and threatening, and a neighbour in Haddon Road told police he had seen the defendant punching her in the face months before she was stabbed.

In the first trial, Prosecutor Sandip Patel KC said Ms Bereket did not die instantly, but Andmichaen did not call for help, instead taking her phone and preventing her from calling for help herself.

Mr Patel said: “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.

“Filmon Andmichaen made a chilling decision – he decided the life growing inside his girlfriend was a complication he was unwilling to accept.”

Judge Mr Justice Choudhury said he had no doubt that Andmichaen had intended to end Ms Bereket’s life and that of her unborn daughter, which he attempted to deny was his.

Judge Choudhury said: “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.”

He added: “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.”

Andmichaen was sentenced to life imprisonment, being ordered to serve at least 27 years.

In a statement read to the court, Ms Bereket’s family said her death has “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 brought 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.”