Jonathan Houseman faces jail for Brierley Hill double murder

Businessman Jonathan Houseman, who has a waste disposal site in the Mucklow Hill area of Halesowen, executed Brian McIntosh and William Henry as a result of ‘pure greed’ after luring them to a Brierley Hill industrial estate and shooting them as they sat in a Range Rover.

Driver Mr McIntosh, aged 29, was hit four times in the face and neck, while front seat passenger Mr Henry, aged 31, was struck twice, in the head and shoulder.

William Henry and Brian McIntosh. Pic - West Midlands Police

They died almost instantly in the car at the Albion Works industrial estate.

Backseat passenger Houseman, aged 32, fled the scene in a car he’d parked nearby and arrived at the H2O car valet business run by friend Richard Avery at the Merry Hill shopping centre 10 minutes later.

CCTV showed Houseman removing his clothes, which would have been covered in blood and gunshot residue, and appearing to spray himself with cleaning fluid given to him by Avery.

Avery was seen bagging up the clothes worn at the time and loading them into a car.

Richard Avery. Pic - West Midlands Police

They later destroyed the evidence in a garden waste incinerator to help cover Houseman's tracks.

Detectives established the victims, who worked in the waste clearance business, were owed thousands of pounds by Houseman for work they had done but not been paid for.

It is believed Houseman owed the victims at least £400,000 and while he claimed to have paid them a small proportion of this amount, they had become increasingly frustrated with his failure to reimburse them.

During his trial, Houseman claimed the gunman was a mystery fourth person in the car but CCTV and forensic evidence showed this was not true.

Avery claimed he only helped Houseman, of Quarry Park Road, Stourbridge, after the killings because he’d been threatened by someone.

Houseman was convicted of the two murders, which happened on September 30 last year, after an eight-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

Avery, aged 33, of no fixed address, was cleared of murder but found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

Det Insp Wes Martin, who led the investigation, said: “These were killings motivated pure and simply by greed and Houseman’s selfish desire to wipe out debts and maintain a lavish lifestyle he could ill afford.

“We believe Houseman arranged this meeting to ambush and ultimately execute Mr McIntosh and Mr Henry – both of whom were young, family men, who were well loved by their families and had their whole lives ahead of them.

“There has been absolutely no remorse from the two men on trial, and they have tried to distance themselves from these horrific killings at every step of the way. It was carried out as cold blooded execution which was completely unjustified.

“Our thoughts are with the families of Mr McIntosh and Mr Henry today, as they have been throughout this investigation.”

Houseman and Avery will be sentenced at a later date.

Avery’s partner, 33-year-old Francesca Scott, was acquitted of perverting the course of justice.