Somalian murderer Martin Njoronga sentenced to life.

Left: Muslim women in today's Sparkhill.


Right: British nurses in Sparkhill at the outbreak of ww2.



Sparkbrook/Sparkhill is a heavily 'enriched' area of Birmingham. Once a peaceful working class neighbourhood, it is now overcrowded, violent, drug ridden, and home to several different gangs of various ethnic identities.

It is unrecognisable as an English area, just as Enoch Powell predicted such area's would be.

The Birmingham Mail reports - A violent factory worker who stabbed a Birmingham father-of-two to death in a drunken frenzy was today starting a life sentence.

Somalian national Martin Njoronga admitted killing Barry Latta after they scuffled at Njoranga’s sheltered accommodation in Sparkbrook.


Njoronga (left), 35, who had drunk up to ten pints of lager and two shots before the attack, was jailed at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday. He will serve at least 14 years, less 167 days spent in custody, before being considered for release.

Passing sentence, Judge William Davis QC told him: “A drunken fight broke out, for what reasons we will never know. That fight involved you and Mr Latta.

“The two of you were separated. If it had ended there we would never have heard any more about it.

“It did not end and you came out with a knife plainly intent on using it before launching into a murderous attack.”

Judge Davis said it was highly likely that Njoronga would be deported by the Home Office after completing his sentence.

The court heard Njoronga, who had two previous convictions for assaulting police, had been drinking heavily in The Shakespeare pub in Stratford Road, Sparkbrook, on the night of the murder.

Tim Probert-Wood, prosecuting, said Njoronga was “unsteady on his feet” when he left the pub on March 19 this year.

Mr Latta (Left), 24, from Sparkbrook, had himself been drinking that day with friend Gamele Bahakam when they bumped into Njoronga outside the pub.

Njoronga and Mr Bahakam went back to their flats in nearby Auckland Road with Mr Latta in tow, the court was told.

Mr Probert-Wood said that, once back at the house, Gamele passed out and “woke to the sound of banging” caused by fighting between Njoronga and Mr Latta.

They were split up by Mr Bahakam but Njoronga returned from his room with a kitchen knife and stabbed Mr Latta in the heart. The victim was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at Selly Oak police station.

After the sentence, Det Insp Tom Chisholm, senior investigating officer, read a statement on behalf of Mr Latta’s family.

It said: “Barry Latta was a young family man with his whole life ahead of him.

“His family and friends are devastated by his death and they are grateful to have received justice but accept no sentence will bring Barry back to them.

“The family would like to thank West Midlands Police for their support throughout the ordeal.” Article