Man killed Birmingham neighbour then spent his benefits money, court told - Birmingham Live

A tragic incident unfolded in Erdington involving Diogo Bettencourt, 37, who stands accused of murdering his neighbour Anthony Sharma, 43. The last confirmed sighting of Sharma alive was on the evening of November 8, 2023, just before 10:30 pm. On that night, Sharma and Bettencourt were seen together on CCTV at Booze & Beverages off-licence on Slade Road. Shortly after, they were recorded returning to their shared residence on Doidge Road, where the fatal events reportedly took place over the next few hours. Anthony Sharma was later found dead by the building’s landlady around 1 pm on November 10. The court heard that Bettencourt assaulted Sharma between 10:30 pm on November 8 and 2:30 am on November 9, inflicting fatal injuries including applied neck pressure, multiple sharp force wounds, and a head injury. Following the death, Bettencourt allegedly exploited Sharma’s bank card, using it multiple times over the next day to withdraw cash and make purchases, including withdrawing money shortly after a benefits payment was made into Sharma’s account. Eyewitness accounts revealed that on the morning of November 10, Bettencourt appeared disheveled and lied to the building owner, Musarat Bi, claiming Sharma had gone to visit family in Scotland. Despite Bettencourt’s warnings not to check Sharma’s room, Ms Bi opened it to find Sharma’s lifeless body partly covered by a sleeping bag. She immediately called the police after leaving the property unseen. During police questioning, Bettencourt neither admitted nor denied killing Sharma and made claims of having been stabbed a week prior, suffering from PTSD, and being a regular heroin user, though he denied dependency. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, Bettencourt's defense is expected to argue diminished responsibility due to his mental health condition. However, the prosecution asserts that his post-incident behavior, including calculated use of Sharma’s finances, contradicts claims of impaired responsibility. The trial at Birmingham Crown Court is ongoing. Prosecutor Mark Heywood KC emphasized that despite Bettencourt’s mental health issues, the evidence supports a murder conviction. Multiple unsuccessful and successful attempts to withdraw money from Sharma’s bank account were documented, illustrating a calculated pattern of exploiting the victim post-mortem. The case continues to unravel the events leading to Sharma’s death and Bettencourt’s actions thereafter.