Sakander Hussain guilty of murdering ex-councillor Wallis Webb then using card for spending spree

A man has been found guilty of murdering a former councillor at his tower block flat and then going on a spending spree with his bank card. The naked body of Wallis Webb was found at Cranleigh House in Erdington on February 6 this year.

A trial heard the 65-year-old, who had also worked as a chef at a care home, was stabbed to death in the early hours of January 31. Today, Thursday, September 12 at Birmingham Crown Court a jury found Sakander Hussain guilty of murder.

They had spent more than ten hours deliberating before convicting the 25-year-old of Ingleton Road, Washwood Heath, by a majority verdict of ten to two. He had already admitted fraud.

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Judge Rupert Mayo adjourned sentencing to a date to be confirmed and ordered progress reports on Hussain's conduct while on remand at HMP Hewell in Worcestershire and HMP Birmingham.

He told him: "You have been convicted of murder, the only sentence is one of life imprisonment. The question for me his how long the tariff should be before you are considered for parole. I will sentence you in due course. You can go down."

Mr Webb had left his flat at Baldmoor Lake Road around 2.40am on January 31 and drove his blue Hyundai to Frederick Road in Gravelly Hill, where he picked up a man on the corner with Hunton Hill. They returned to Cranleigh House at 2.55am and gay porn searches were made on the smart television before a man was next seen leaving at 3.58am, with a backpack and bag.

Opening the case last month prosecutor Edward Brown KC said: "The prosecution case is that that man was this defendant Sakander Hussain. And it will have become clear therefore why the prosecution have identified the times of 2.55am and 3.58am during which Mr Webb must have been attacked and killed in his flat. He was never seen alive again."

Hussain used Mr Webb's bank card at a Big John's, Costcutter and Tesco the day after he killed him. On February 2 he returned to Cranleigh House and the day after he called NewDay finance attempting to get a block on the victim's card lifted.

A few days before his death Mr Webb had left his job as a chef at a care home, which he had worked for three years. His brother Frederick Webb, who lives in Spain, alerted the police about his concerns having not been able to get hold of his sibling.

Officers forced entry at 9.24am on February 6. Mr Brown said: "He was dead and plainly had been for some time. It was seen immediately that he had suffered serious neck injuries and had lost a significant amount of blood. A murder investigation began."

At the start of the four-week trial Judge Mayo told the jury that Hussain had mental health difficulties and disabilities as well as a 'very low IQ'. Police found Mr Webb's black brief case and laptop at another address connected to the defendant in Knight's Close, Erdington.

After being arrested Hussain initially concocted a story that he had been blackmailed by another man he met at a sauna to look after Mr Webb's belongings. He stated he was bisexual and had had numerous relationships with older males as well as accepted money for sex in the past but he denied meeting Mr Webb on gay dating app Grindr.

But after evidence connected Hussain to the murder scene he admitted he was there and claimed he acted in self-defence because Mr Webb attacked him. By way of their verdict the jury rejected his account.