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The case against a teenager accused of murdering a man at a house party in Birmingham has been dropped because of “insufficient evidence.”
Detectives launched a murder hunt after Joel Richards , 20, arrived at Birmingham’s City Hospital with multiple stab wounds in the early hours of Sunday May 28.
He died shortly afterwards, having suffered a fatal stab wound to the chest.
A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged in June with murdering Mr Richards and possessing a knife in Kingsbury Road.
He was due to stand trial at Birmingham Crown Court earlier this month, but the case against him was discontinued.
A spokesman for the West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that the case had been dropped.
He said: “Based on the evidence which was provided to us by the police, a decision was made that there was insufficient evidence available at the present time to provide a realistic prospect of conviction.”
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Birmingham murder victim named by friends and family
The case against a teenager accused of murdering a man at a house party in Birmingham has been dropped because of “insufficient evidence.”
Detectives launched a murder hunt after Joel Richards , 20, arrived at Birmingham’s City Hospital with multiple stab wounds in the early hours of Sunday May 28.
He died shortly afterwards, having suffered a fatal stab wound to the chest.
A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged in June with murdering Mr Richards and possessing a knife in Kingsbury Road.
He was due to stand trial at Birmingham Crown Court earlier this month, but the case against him was discontinued.
A spokesman for the West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that the case had been dropped.
He said: “Based on the evidence which was provided to us by the police, a decision was made that there was insufficient evidence available at the present time to provide a realistic prospect of conviction.”
It is believed that Joel attended a party in Erdington where a disorder took place at around 2.30am.
Detectives previously made a public appeal to track down anyone who attended the house party on Kingsbury Road, near to the junction of Wood End Lane.
Joel’s former teacher described him as “a wonderful student, a credit to the school and his family” whilst one of his friend’s described him as “one of the nicest young men I have ever met”.
And his friend Craig Asson posted on the Birmingham Mail Facebook page: “RIP brother thank you for the hundreds of memories.
“One of the nicest young men I ever met gone at just 20. Please everyone share somebody somewhere will know something.”
It is understood Joel was previously a pupil at the North Birmingham Academy, in Kingstanding’s College Road.
His former teacher, David Hill-Ilderton, previously said: “Joel was a wonderful student, a credit to our school and his family. God bless.
Anyone with information about Joel’s death can call the West Midlands Police homicide team on 101, or the independent Crimestoppers charity, anonymously, on 0800 555 111 .
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