HALEFOM WELDEYOHANNES BRUTAL MURDER IN SHEFFIELD: ERITREA-ORIGIN TEENAGER KILLED IN BIRMINGHAM
In August 2022, a tragic and violent crime unfolded that shocked the communities of Birmingham and Sheffield.A young woman, Yordanos Brhane, a 19-year-old originally from Eritrea, was brutally murdered in her own home, an act that has left her family and local residents devastated.
Yordanos, who had emigrated from Eritrea seeking a better life in the United Kingdom, was found dead at her residence in Birmingham on July 31, 2021.
Her death was the result of a horrifying attack carried out by Halefom Weldeyohannes, a 26-year-old man also from Eritrea, who had grown up in the same village as Yordanos before they both moved to the UK in 2020.
The details of the crime reveal a disturbing pattern of obsession and violence.
Weldeyohannes, who was initially scheduled to stand trial on charges of murder, instead pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment on Tuesday, August 23.
The court was told that he would serve a minimum of 21 years behind bars before being eligible for parole.
According to court reports, Weldeyohannes had a misguided and obsessive love for Yordanos.
He claimed to be in love with her, despite her clear rejection.
She had told him that she saw him more as a brother, a response that did not deter his dangerous fixation.
Prior to the murder, Weldeyohannes had asked another man to send false messages to Yordanos in an attempt to gauge her feelings.
When she responded with a message of rejection and asked him not to come, he ignored her wishes and traveled from Sheffield to Birmingham by train.
On the day of the attack, Weldeyohannes met Yordanos and they traveled together by bus to her home.
The situation escalated rapidly.
One of her housemates was awakened by Yordanos’s screams, which indicated the severity of the violence.
Witnesses later described how Weldeyohannes was found on top of Yordanos, with both hands around her neck, gripping her tightly.
She was seen holding a kitchen knife, which may have been used to inflict the injuries that ultimately led to her death.
After the assault, Weldeyohannes fled the scene, attempting to conceal bloodstains on his trousers and even trying to set fire to her clothes with a lighter.
He also searched the internet for reports related to the murder, indicating a disturbing awareness of his actions.
He was arrested the following day in Stoke-on-Trent, where authorities believed he was attempting to escape the country.
Prosecutor Christopher Quinlan QC detailed the events to the court, emphasizing the brutality of the murder.
He explained that Weldeyohannes had left Yordanos dying on her bed before making his escape to Birmingham’s New Street railway station.
The court heard that Weldeyohannes had previously contacted Yordanos to apologize and profess his love, despite her clear disinterest.
His actions culminated in a violent and tragic death, with the judge describing the murder as brutal and violent, noting that Yordanos had no defensive injuries, suggesting she was stabbed first and then strangled.
Judge Simon Drew QC sentenced Weldeyohannes to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 21 years.
The case highlights the devastating consequences of obsessive love and unchecked violence, leaving a community mourning the loss of a young woman who sought a new beginning in the UK but was tragically cut down by someone she once knew from her homeland.
