A double murderer kills again behind bars as two Midlands predators convicted of drug-fuelled teen abuse

The Midlands has been rocked by two horrifying cases—one exposing the dangers lurking inside Britain’s prisons, the other revealing a sickening campaign of sexual abuse against vulnerable girls.

In Birmingham, convicted killer Vitalie Tanga has received another life sentence after strangling his cellmate to death with a kettle lead at HMP Birmingham—just a year after he brutally murdered another man in Wolverhampton.

Tanga, 41, was already serving life for the killing of Alfred Mattox, 56, when he launched a terrifying assault on fellow inmate Tajinder Kular in September 2022. Kular never regained consciousness and died three weeks later in the hospital.

The chilling court case exposed a series of warning signs. Tanga, who suffers from schizophrenia, claimed self-defence—an excuse rejected by both the jury and judge. Justice Tipples condemned the murder as deliberate and calculated: “You knew what you were doing and intended to kill him,” she told the court.

After the attack, Tanga was seen pacing the cell and making chilling “death gestures” before pointing to his dying victim. Prison staff, stunned by the brutality, found him in the showers repeatedly muttering “fight, fight” and “killed, killed.”

This is not the first time Tanga turned violent. In 2021, he murdered Mattox in a frenzied, drink-fuelled rage. At first, arrested only for assault, it wasn’t until Mattox died of his injuries that Tanga’s murderous rampage became fully apparent.

Yet prison authorities and prosecutors have faced sharp criticism for failing to contain a man many describe as “dangerous beyond belief.” Both murders raise serious concerns about whether Britain’s prison system is equipped to manage such volatile, violent offenders.

Meanwhile, in Coventry, the community has been left shaken by a harrowing case of child sexual exploitation. Two men—Farhang Taha, 26, and Attullah Areen, 31—were found guilty of systematically abusing teenage girls between 2016 and 2018. Their method was as calculated as it was vile: lure the girls into cars, supply them with cocaine and alcohol, and then drive them to different locations to carry out their abuse.

The shocking truth only came to light thanks to the brave testimonies of the two young survivors, now adults. Police later discovered deeply disturbing video footage on one of the predators’ phones, confirming the victims’ accounts.

Throughout the trial at Warwick Crown Court, both men denied wrongdoing and even accused the girls of lying. But the jury saw through their deceit, delivering a verdict that brought some justice, though not closure. Sentencing is pending.

West Midlands Police praised the courage of the victims and vowed to treat every report of abuse with the utmost seriousness. “These young women displayed incredible strength,” said a spokesperson. “Their testimony helped ensure these predators will never harm anyone again.”

For many parents in Coventry, this case raises agonising questions. How did these men operate undetected for years? What safeguards failed? And what more must be done to protect vulnerable teens from predators who hide in plain sight?

As calls grow for tougher sentences and systemic reform—both inside prisons and in communities—the Midlands is left reeling from a double dose of horror: a killer who couldn’t be stopped even behind bars, and two men who used drugs and fear to destroy innocence.