Crime

CCTV Captures Chilling Moment Man Walks Pregnant Girlfriend into Woods Before Killing Her

Published

1 week ago

November 30, 2024

Filmon Andmichaen 31 was jailed for a minimum of 27 years on Wednesday

CCTV captured the harrowing moment Filmon Andmichaen, 31, led his pregnant girlfriend, Liwam Bereket, into a wooded area in Ladywood, Birmingham, where he brutally killed her. Ms Bereket, 26, was 27 weeks pregnant with a baby girl when she was fatally stabbed on August 1, 2023.

The footage shows Andmichaen parking his Toyota Yaris before the couple enters the woods. Fifteen minutes later, Andmichaen returns to the car alone and drives away. Two hours later, he called the police, admitting to stabbing Ms Bereket, claiming it was accidental.

Police found Ms Bereket with fatal neck wounds. Despite showing faint signs of life, she died at the scene, and her baby was stillborn following an emergency cesarean.

Andmichaen, who was married and had children with his wife, demanded that Ms Bereket terminate her pregnancy. When she refused, he “took matters into his own hands,” the court heard.

Undated handout photo issued by West Midlands Police of Filmon Andmichaen, 31, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for the "callous and cowardly" killing of 26-year-old Liwam Bereket, who was 27 weeks pregnant, in woodland off Freeth Street, Ladywood, Birmingham, on August 1 last year. Issue date: Wednesday November 27, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story COURTS Ladywood. Photo credit should read: West Midlands Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

Filmon Andmichaen was sentenced to 27 years in prison (Picture: West Midlands Police/PA Wire)

Witnesses and neighbours had previously reported seeing Andmichaen physically assault Ms Bereket, including punching her in the face. After the murder, he took her phone to prevent her from calling for help, which police later found in the boot of his car.

Following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court, Andmichaen was convicted of murder and sentenced to a minimum of 27 years in prison.

FILE PICTURE - Police at the scene on Freeth Street, Ladywood, Birmingham, August 2, 2023. Release date ??? February 20 2024. See SWNS story SWCCdeath. A married man made the "chilling decision" to solve the "problem" of having a pregnant girlfriend by taking her to a quiet spot and cutting the woman's throat. Filmon Andmichaen left the 26-year-old woman and her unborn child to die and later claimed her death had been a "mistake" Birmingham Crown Court was told. Andmichaen, 30, of Haddon Road, Great Barr, has denied charges of murdering Liwam Bereket and destruction of a child. "The facts are simple as they are gruesome. He made the chilling decision. He decided that the life growing inside his girlfriend, a new innocent life they created together, was a complication he was unwilling to accept and he decided the simple solution to his problem was a permanent one, of murder," said Sandip Patel KC, prosecuting, said.

Forensics near the scene of the murder in Birmingham last year (Picture: Anita Maric/ SWNS)

Judge Justice Choudhury stated that Andmichaen had deliberately intended to end Ms Bereket’s life and that of her unborn daughter.

In a statement, Ms. Bereket’s grieving family described her as a “beautiful soul full of life, laughter, and love.” They expressed their heartbreak, stating, “We are forever changed and haunted by the nagging question of why this happened.”

West Midlands Police CCTV Videograb showing moment Filmon Andmichaen walks his pregnant mistress to her death

CCTV footage captured the pair leaving the car before Andmichaen returned alone (Picture: West Midlands Police)

Detective Chief Inspector Jim Colclough of West Midlands Police condemned Andmichaen’s lack of remorse and hoped the sentence would bring peace to Ms Bereket’s family. He reaffirmed the force’s commitment to tackling violence against women and girls, stating, “Violence against women and girls is unacceptable and won’t be tolerated.”