Younis Masih
Murder *
Sentence
Life imprisonment with minimum term of 15 years
Younis Masih, a 40-year-old drug addict, murdered his 31-year-old friend Edwin Mazorodze in December 2013 at Paradise House on Eden Street in Coventry. After consuming a cocktail of drugs together, the pair had a row, during which Masih bludgeoned Mazorodze with a metal statuette (a brass ornament) with such force that it snapped in half, inflicting severe head injuries. Masih then attempted to drag the half-naked and bleeding victim into a lift but instead threw him over the balcony of his eighth-floor flat. Mazorodze plunged head first to the ground, clipping a ledge, and died from the fall. Masih cleared blood from his flat, discarded his blood-soaked trainers in a bin, walked past the dying victim without concern as paramedics attended, and fled into the night. He was arrested the following day and claimed the fall was accidental, alleging Mazorodze tried to climb back into the flat through a window. Police found blood throughout the flat, including on doors, hallways, stairs, carpet, bed, TV, towels, the broken ornament, and a 2.3kg barbell.
Convicted by jury after less than three hours of deliberation. Pleaded not guilty but protested innocence from the dock. Judge noted previous convictions for dishonesty and violence, including six years for wounding with intent in 2001. Judge commented on the degrading effects of drugs and the defendant's despicable behavior after the attack.