UK police charge suspect in deadly Birmingham stabbing spree after sweeping manhunt

The suspect behind a lethal stabbing rampage that left one dead and seven others injured in the UK has been taken into custody and charged with homicide following an extensive police manhunt, according to local authorities.

Zephaniah McLeod, 27, was charged with murder and seven counts of attempted murder on Tuesday, the Crown Prosecution Service said. He is accused of killing 23-year-old Jacob Billington and stabbing several others during an early-morning attack in Birmingham on Sunday, two of whom remain in serious condition.

“The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised West Midlands Police to charge Zephaniah McLeod, 27, with one count of murder and seven counts of attempted murder,” Suzanne Llewellyn, a Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for West Midlands, said in a statement. “This decision was made following careful consideration of the evidence presented to us by West Midlands Police as a result of their ongoing investigation.”

McLeod was arrested early Monday morning following a sweeping police search, located at a home in a suburb of Birmingham. Before he was charged, police said magistrates granted a warrant to extend his detention by 36 hours, giving detectives more time for questioning.

The stabbing rampage unfolded over some 90 minutes, spanning several locations in central Birmingham and ending in a busy area near several bars and nightclubs. Investigators said they could find no pattern in the attack, suggesting McLeod chose his victims at random. The chief superintendent of the West Midlands Police, Steve Graham, has also dispelled rumors the incident was linked to terrorism, gang violence or a hate crime.

McLeod is expected to appear at the Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Wednesday morning for his first hearing.

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