Brothers convicted for part in family killing

Thomas Rogers was killed by his brothers in Birmingham last August.

Samuel and David Rogers arranged the attack as a result of a family feud.

The brothers had travelled to Birmingham from Mansfield to carry out the fatal assault on Thomas.

In the hours leading up to the attack, David sent Thomas messages threatening to kill him, said a police statement.

A Ford KA carrying the men pulled in front of the car that Thomas was a passenger in on Mill Pool Way, just off Bristol Road.

CCTV caught David and Samuel lunging through the passenger window at their brother, who was a passenger in a Vauxhall Astra, and stabbed him once in the heart. Samuel filmed the attack on his phone.

They left their brother for dead and travelled back up north in attempt to escape justice.

David continued to a hotel in Northumbria where officers found an apparent suicide note apologising for what he had done to his “baby brother”. He was found in woodlands in Haltwhistle days later where he was arrested.

David Rogers, 33, and Samuel Rogers, 31, previously pleaded guilty to possession of a knife.

Following a four week trial at Birmingham Crown Court, David Rogers was found guilty of murder and Samuel Rogers was found guilty of manslaughter.

David Rogers, of Nora Street, South Shields, and Samuel Rogers, of St Michael's Street, Sutton-in-Ashfield, will be sentenced at a hearing on Thursday, October 7.

Macauley Welby, of no fixed address, and Ryan Hurt, of Peel Crescent, Mansfield, who had also been accused of murder, were found not guilty following the trial.

Detective inspector Stuart Mobberley, of West Midland's Police's homicide team, said: “It took just 30 seconds and one single knife wound to kill Thomas. And now two people will spend years in prison for their part in this crime.

“When we say there are no winners in knife crime, this could not be truer in case. A mother has lost not just one, but three sons as a result of this heinous crime.”