Woman stabbed in Birmingham near Bullring shopping centre dies

A woman who was stabbed in the neck in an unprovoked attack at a bus stop in Birmingham has died, police have confirmed.

Katie Fox, 34, was targeted in Smallbrook Queensway, just outside the Bullring shopping centre, shortly before 21:00 GMT on Friday.

Djeison Rafael, 21, appeared before Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on Monday charged over the attack.

He was previously accused of attempted murder, but following Ms Fox’s death, the charge has been updated to murder.

The 21-year-old, of Rosedale Avenue, Smethwick, is also charged with two counts of causing actual bodily harm on 27 October and 7 November, possession of a Stanley blade and assaulting a detention escort officer.

Mr Rafael, who appeared before District Judge John Bristow, was told to be quiet as he interrupted the six-minute hearing multiple times.

He was told he was not going to be asked to enter any pleas because the offences were too serious to be dealt with by the magistrates’ court.

The case was sent to Birmingham Crown Court for a hearing on 12 November.

The force said officers would be around the city centre on Monday to offer reassurance. They added that investigators were supporting the victim’s family.

Detectives are appealing for witnesses who may have seen Mr Rafael, who they described as a black British national, and is believed to have been wearing an all-grey tracksuit, black hat, trainers and rucksack.

The stabbing happened outside the Bullring shopping centre, opposite the main entrance to Birmingham New Street station.

Police said they were treating it as an “unprovoked attack” and Det Insp James Nix said they were working to understand why it had happened.

West Midlands police and crime commissioner Simon Foster said: “This abhorrent and brutal attack is utterly shocking.”

He said tackling knife crime was his “top priority” and there had been “significant reductions” over the last year.

“However, I emphasise that I am not remotely complacent,” he said. “One victim of knife crime is one too many.”

“We are absolutely committed to constant and unremitting and relentless action.”

Shalini Doal, who works nearby, told the BBC she had seen the emergency response when she finished her shift at about 22:00 GMT on Friday.

She described the scene as “quite chaotic” and said she and her colleagues were worried for their safety.

Eleni Nazou, who also works in the city, said she had been at the bus stop at about 19:00 GMT that evening when travelling home. She said that when she heard the stabbing had happened just two hours later, she imagined: “It could have been me.”

“It did make me feel unsafe and a bit more guarded,” she said. “I don’t know how I can protect myself.”

Ashley Birks, from Stoke-on-Trent, said he came to Birmingham fairly regularly to see his girlfriend, who lives in the city, and was concerned about what had happened.

“It makes me worried for my girlfriend,” he said.

“She doesn’t drive and works at all of the big music venues… and to think something completely unprovoked [happened], you know, it’s horrible.”