Teenager and woman sentenced after 'luring' pensioner to his death and stuffing him into a box

A woman and a teenage boy have been jailed for murder after "luring" a pensioner to his death in Coventry.

Michael Brady was brutally killed before being shoved into an empty TV box at a flat in Keresley.

Antoinette Sheppard and Kieron Spicer murdered Mr Brady in a house on Bowness Close. They were both convicted of his murder on 19 December 2023.

Spicer's name was allowed to be published by the judge at sentencing, after a prosecution application.

West Midlands Police said that Sheppard, 44, befriended her victim Mr Brady, who was 74 at the time of his death, and lured him to her home.

CCTV showed the victim entering her address shortly after 6pm on June 18, 2023.

Watch the CCTV footage capturing the pair luring Mr Brady into the flat - and using his bank card to buy alcohol in a nearby shop after they murdered him.

At the same time, messages were exchanged between both killers as they discussed robbing Mr Brady - police believe it was around this time they murdered the pensioner.

After killing Mr Brady, the pair put his body in a large TV box, and dragged it into a shed to hide, the court heard.

Sheppard and Spicer then stole their victim's bank card, withdrawing more than £300 to buy alcohol, West Midlands Police stated.

Members of the public raised concerns, leading to police being called to the address in Keresley. They searched the shed, discovering the body of Mr Brady.

During police interviews, both murderers blamed each other for the death of Mr Brady. Jurors were shown phone messages in which Sheppard and Spicer discussed inflicting violence on someone.

One from the teenager read: "I am on one. I am going to hurt people.'"

Police say the now 17-year-old phoned Sheppard at this time and, when officers answered, said: "If you want to speak to me, you will have to find me."

Spicer was later found after he told a social worker he had been asked to hide a body, a court heard.

The court heard how Sheppard had groomed Spicer to commit offences and how neither defendant showed any remorse.

Sheppard has been jailed for a minimum of 30 years behind bars while Spicer was sentenced to 18 years.

A victim statement from Mr Brady's family said: "We do not understand; nor will we ever understand the violence shown to my dad, a vulnerable, ailing, gentle man who trusted people. 

"Telling my family, friends, and work colleagues that my dad had been murdered was surreal and devastating. 

"The words feeling foreign when they left my mouth. It is still difficult now to say the words out loud. 

"Prior to all of this my dad was a kind man, generous and hardworking, he loved to laugh and had many friends." 

Detective Inspector Jim Colclough, from West Midlands Police, said: "It was a tragic case of a vulnerable man being killed by people he thought he could trust.

"It was a planned and pre-meditated act of violence, with messages exchanged between both defendants discussing what they were going to do.

"Not only did they murder Mr Brady, but they were both perfectly content to try and blame each other for it.

"We hope his family will take some closure from this and that justice has been done."

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