Three men have been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to killing a 51-year-old man, Darren Smith, in a brutal daylight attack in Shard End, Birmingham, last year.
The fatal incident occurred on 15 March 2023, when Darren Smith visited a phone shop on Heath Way to purchase a phone case. While inside the shop, he was ambushed by three men—Lee O’Brien and his two sons, Luke and Lewis. The attackers repeatedly kicked and punched Smith before striking him several times with a wrench.
During the violent assault, two Rolex watches were stolen from Darren’s wrist, and the shop staff were threatened by the attackers before they fled the scene in their cars.
Despite managing to walk out of the shop, Darren collapsed nearby. Several members of the public rushed to his aid, providing first aid until emergency services arrived. Tragically, Darren died at the scene from his injuries.
The day after the attack, on 16 March, police arrested Lee O’Brien, 51, and his sons Luke O’Brien, 36, and Lewis O’Brien, 31, in Torquay. The trio had borrowed a car from a friend in an attempt to evade capture, but police traced the vehicle and apprehended them.
At Birmingham Crown Court on 19 September 2023, all three men pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Yesterday, Friday, 5 April 2024, Luke and Lewis O’Brien were each sentenced to 12-and-a-half years in prison, while their father, Lee O’Brien, received a sentence of 11 years and eight months.
This tragic incident shocked the local community, with police continuing to stress the severity of violent crime and its devastating consequences.
