When wounded pride drove mean men with fragile egos to commit murder

There are various motives for murder, but one of the most senseless is wounded pride. Unfortunately, we have reported on some criminals who were forced to kill someone because it damaged their fragile ego.

Below are four such cases from Birmingham and the Black Country this year, where petty killers have been jailed for more than 80 years in total. From the brutal builder who couldn’t take criticism for his shoddy work to the teenager with a warped sense of injustice, everyone will have plenty of time to reflect on whether their grudges or obsessions were worth it.

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Remy Gordon

Small-time criminal Remy Gordon instigated the murder of semi-pro football player Cody Fisher after he believed he had poked him in the back. The pair had a verbal exchange at Popworld in Solihull in which Mr Fisher, 23, also a PE teacher, refused to back down and accepted Gordon’s challenge to go outside.

That particular confrontation went away after another man stepped in, but Gordon’s pride was damaged. Within minutes, he found a photo of Mr Fisher and posted it to his Snapchat group saying “who knows this kind of pipsqueak” followed by “due to take it out”. Less than 48 hours, that’s exactly what happened.

Gordon continued to spread his vendetta against the “posh white yoot” until he confronted him again at The Crane nightclub in Digbeth on Boxing Day 2022. Only it was his long-time school friend Kami Carpenter who stabbed Mr. Fisher in the chest. He and Gordon had previously discussed bringing knives to the location and were both convicted of murder.

After the attack, Gordon was caught on CCTV at a takeaway restaurant laughing and miming the fight on the dance floor. His own lawyer described how he was addicted to PlayStation and social media, arguing that the 23-year-old from Rednal had a “lack of maturity”. Gordon was sentenced to life with a minimum of 26 years. Carpenter, 22, from Kings Norton, who did not even know Mr Fisher, was given a minimum term of 25 years.

Peter Norgrove

Builder Peter Norgrove killed Sharon Gordon after she criticized the shoddy work he had done on her Dudley home. The £29,000 home extension was supposed to take six weeks but was not finished after 15 months.

As Mrs Gordon became increasingly concerned about the lack of progress and delays, she received a lengthy text from Norgrove accusing her of “talking to him”. A few months later, he beat the 59-year-old mother with a hammer, hitting her head eight times, leaving a £2 hole.

He left Mrs. Gordon for dead in a pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs. Then, just a few hours later, he led a Jehovah’s Witness service at the same place of worship he attended. Father-of-three Norgrove, 43, from Sedgley, admitted murder and was jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years.

Terrell Boyce

Terrell Boyce harbored a twisted grudge against Ronique Thomas for taking back her own e-bike. The victim was very fond of the £4,600 vehicle which was stolen. He confronted Boyce, 18, when he saw him riding.

There was no evidence that Boyce had taken it and claimed to have bought it from someone else, but there was no doubt that the bike belonged to Mr Thomas because of the serial number. Somehow, the teenager, who was known by the street name ‘T1’, felt he had been wronged and his pride hurt.

Boyce went to look for him in a pub where he threatened him that he was “dead”. Just a few weeks later, he met Mr Thomas in a chance encounter when he spotted the bike parked outside a shop on Kings Heath while in a taxi.

Boyce chased Mr Thomas down the street and fatally stabbed him. He was found guilty of murder, robbery and weapons offences. Boyce was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 25 years.

Rajveer Mahey

Rajveer Mahey killed his wife after he became obsessed with having an affair, which he wasn’t. He stabbed Kamaljeet Mahey, 45, 28 times with a knife in the garage of their home in Bilston while their children slept.

He then waited two hours before “calmly” confessing to his relatives what he had done. Mahey, 50, was also described as “emotionless” as he sat on the sofa when paramedics arrived.

The couple had been married for 20 years. He had been abusive and controlling in the relationship where he had also spread false rumors that his partner had been unfaithful.

Mahey cynically claimed he acted in self-defense, but was found guilty of murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 16 years and eight months in prison.