A suspect has been charged with two counts of murder after the bodies of two men were found in a car park in Dudley.
Jonathan Houseman, 32, from Stourbridge, is accused of killing William Henry, brother of MBE-winning West End star Matt Henry, and Brian McIntosh, who were found shot dead in a car on Wednesday, West Midlands police said.
Houseman will appear at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on Monday. A second person arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender has been released without charge.
Mr Henry, 31, and father-of-two Mr McIntosh, 29, both from Bartley Green in Birmingham, were both shot in the chest in a ‘gangland-style’ execution in Brierley Hill, near Dudley in the West Midlands.
Brian McIntosh (right), 29, and Will Henry (left), 31, were both shot in the chest in a ‘gangland-style’ execution in Brierley Hill, near Dudley in West Midlands
Mr Henry’s family described him as ‘the light of our lives’ while Mr McIntosh’s relatives said they were ‘absolutely devastated and heart-broken’
West End star Matt Henry (far left) with his brother Will Henry (second left, circled), who has been shot dead in a Range Rover on an industrial state
A post-mortem examination revealed they both died from gunshot wounds.
Mr Henry’s brother Matt, 41, who has appeared in the likes of Saturday Night Fever, Avenue Q and Kinky Boots on stage in London, is said to be ‘devastated’ by the death.
In a statement released on Friday, Mr Henry’s family described him as ‘the light of our lives’ while Mr McIntosh’s relatives said they were ‘absolutely devastated and heart-broken’.
Mr Henry’s family remembered him as a much-loved father, son, brother, uncle, partner and friend.
In a tribute, they said: ‘He was loving and caring and always thought of others before himself.
‘He was the light of our lives, his death has left a huge void in our lives. We would like to express our thanks to the kind words and love shown from extended family and friends.’
West End star Matt Henry won the best actor in a musical award for Kinky Boots at the 2016 Olivier Awards at the Royal Opera House
Mr McIntosh was described as a much-loved son, a devoted partner and a doting father to his two sons. He was also a loving brother to his three sisters and three brothers.
The tribute from his family added: ‘He was loved dearly by his whole family – nieces, nephews, aunties, uncles and cousins.
‘There will be a big whole left in all of our hearts. As a family we are all absolutely devastated and heartbroken.’
Anyone with information is asked to contact the police via Live Chat at our website or call 101 quoting log 3204 from September 30.
Officers launched a murder investigation after the men were discovered just before 3.30pm on Wednesday. It is thought the victims were killed shortly after 1pm.
Mr McIntosh ran a waste management firm in Birmingham called Mak Waste, which is based 11 miles away from Albion Works where the shooting took place.
In August 2019, Mak Waste was fined £18,000 and Mr McIntosh was given a ten-month suspended prison sentence for his involvement in a 2,000-tonne rubbish pile in Dudley being abandoned.
He had admitted failing to comply with the conditions of a permit on the site and not actioning compliance requests made by Environment Agency officers.
The gates of Mr McIntosh’s large family home were covered in flowers today as friends paid their respects to him.
An aerial view of the industrial estate at Brierley Hill in the West Midlands earlier this week
The gates of Mr McIntosh’s large family home in the Woodgate area of west Birmingham were covered in flowers yesterday as friends paid their respects to him
A friend had tied a pair of boxing gloves to the iron gates of Mr McIntosh’s home with each glove bearing a message for the deceased. While one referred to sparring with Mr McIntosh, the other read: ‘To Will, RIP. Sorry you are gone. My thoughts are with you and your family’
One bunch of flowers outside Mr McIntosh’s home yesterday contained a message reading: ‘Brian and Will, my heart is broken hearing the news of your passing. I will miss you both so much. Thank you for everything that you did for me. My heart is numb. RIP’
One friend had tied a pair of Reebok boxing gloves to the iron gates with each glove bearing a message for the deceased.
While one referred to sparring with Mr McIntosh, the other read: ‘To Will, RIP. Sorry you are gone. My thoughts are with you and your family.’
Another bunch of flowers contained a message reading: ‘Brian and Will, my heart is broken hearing the news of your passing. I will miss you both so much. Thank you for everything that you did for me. My heart is numb. RIP.’
Outside Mr McIntosh’s large detached home in the Woodgate area of west Birmingham, there were five cars parked up outside. A woman answered the intercom but refused to comment.
At Mr Henry’s family home in Birmingham yesterday, a succession of visitors arrived at the semi-detached property with flowers for his heartbroken mother Edris
Police have launched a murder probe after the shooting in Brierley Hill (pictured on Thursday)
At Mr Henry’s family home, less than half a mile away, a succession of visitors arrived at the semi-detached property with flowers for his heartbroken mother Edris.
‘He will be really missed,’ said one of those who had come to pay their respects.
At his former first-floor flat in Weoley Castle, Birmingham, residents were shocked to hear of his murder.
One young man said: ‘He moved out a year ago now and I didn’t know him on a personal level but from what I saw of him as a neighbour he seemed a lovely bloke. I haven’t got a bad word to say about him.
A police van blocking an entrance to Albion Works industrial estate in Brierley Hill on Thursday
‘He was down to earth, he’d always say hello, just a really friendly face and a great neighbour to have. I feel totally sad and stunned that he has been shot.’
Another young mother who lived in the council block added: ‘That’s so horrible. He was just a young man with a big smile on his face, a decent neighbour to have.’
The suspect was detained after a vehicle was stopped in Carnforth at about 11.30am yesterday. He was being taken to a custody facility for questioning.
The car the men were in was parked outside units off Moor Street, and the area has been sealed off while forensic investigations are carried out.
An aerial view of the scene in the West Midlands on Thursday following the double shooting
West Midlands Ambulance Service said it had been called to the scene at 3.30pm on Wednesday, sending an ambulance and paramedics.
A spokesman previously said: ‘On arrival, crews discovered two male patients, both of whom were inside a car. It is believed they had been there for some time.
‘Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent nothing could be done to save either of them and they were confirmed dead at the scene.’
Police said yesterday the location of the killings remains sealed off while forensic experts examine the scene.
Police cordoned off the scene (pictured on Thursday) while they hunt for evidence
Residents living in the area around the Albion Works industrial estate said they heard nothing untoward on Wednesday afternoon.
The site is fringed by another industrial park, a canal, a disused railway line and a footpath linking Moor Street to a nearby housing estate.
A police van blocked the single entrance to Albion Works on Thursday, moving only to allow access to other police vehicles, including a forensics unit.
A man who lives near the site, who declined to be named, said: ‘The police were cordoning off the path when I got home from work but my dad was in all day and he heard nothing.
‘You can see the back of the industrial estate from the path. There’s units and a scrapyard-type thing at the back there.’