'Wild party' at Birmingham double death flat

Sep 16 2008 By Mail Reporters

NEIGHBOURS of two sisters who died in a “gruesome bloodbath” at a Birmingham city centre flat today told of a “wild party” in the apartment block.

People living near the women, believed to have been Algerians in their 20s at university in the city, were woken by shrieking and loud music in the Ryland Street block near Broad Street in the early hours of Sunday.

Post mortem examinations into the deaths of the women, who died in a “sustained, frenzied attack”, began today after the bodies were removed from the luxury flat overnight.

In a new development today detectives sealed off part of Sherborne Street 40 yards from the entrance to the flats after builders working on a site found traces of congealed blood on a wire mesh fence.

It is not known at this stage whether the find has any connection with the murder scene.

Officers were this afternoon continuing a detailed search of the flat.

One resident, who asked not to be named, said: “I was kept up all night by the racket of a party. People were shrieking. It sounded like they were having fun.

“Quite a few people were in there singing songs. I remember wanting to get to sleep at about midnight and I could still hear them. Then I must have dozed off and when I woke up at 3am it was all quiet.”

Another, who asked to be known only as Joe, spoke of his fears that the killer turned up the music to mask the women’s screams during the attack, with at least one or two blunt and sharp weapons.

He said: “If a neighbour of mine has an argument I can hear nearly every word, so I just can’t believe these two poor women have been butchered without anyone hearing.

“All I can think is that whoever did this had the music up really loud.”

The victims, described by fellow residents in the Placido block as “very decent people”, were reported missing by their families who had not heard from them for several days.

Police today strenuously denied reports that the women were high-class prostitutes killed during a sex party and insisted there was no intelligence to suggest they were vice girls or that their deaths were sexually motivated.

A 28-year-old man from Birmingham known to both women but not related was today being quizzed over their deaths after he was arrested trying to board a cross channel ferry at Dover yesterday.

Lee Lindsay, aged 27, a manager who has lived in one of the £200,000 Jupiter apartments for three years, described the two women as young professionals who “kept themselves to themselves”.

“They once had a car parking space they wanted to rent out but I had a look at it and I thought it cost too much,” added Lee.

“I can’t believe what’s happened. The concierge said it was like a gruesome bloodbath inside the women’s flat.

“It’s all pretty shocking because although we’ve had a few problems with drug dealers, we haven’t had any real trouble around here.”

Their next of kin have been informed and are being comforted by Family Liaison Officers.

Det Chief Supt David Mirfield, of West Midlands Police described the scene as being “forensically challenging”.

The underground car park at the complex was also being searched, he said.

Detectives, who have set up a special incident support room at Steelhouse Lane Police Station, were also trawling through hours of CCTV footage from around the scene in a bid to piece together what happened.

The apartment complex, also home to former Big Brother star and Kerrang! radio DJ Kate Lawler, is popular with young office workers and is close to Broad Street and Brindley Place, which are packed with bars and restaurants.

Meanwhile Supt Matt Ward urged residents in the area not to panic.

“I want to reassure the local community that although this is a tragic and horrendous crime, we believe this to be an isolated incident,” he added.

Anyone with information about the incident should call Steelhouse Lane Police Station on 0845 113 5000.