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Murder of Charlene Ellis and Letisha Shakespeare

SOLVED2003Birchfield Road, Aston, Birmingham, England3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Charlene Ellis, 18, and Letisha Shakespeare, 17, described as "best friends," were shot with a MAC-10 machine pistol outside a hair salon on Birchfield Road in Aston, Birmingham, England, as they left a New Year's party in the early hours of 2 January 2003. Both women died as a result of the shooting and were described as "innocent victims." Charlene's twin sister Sophie, her cousin Cheryl Shaw, and a friend, Leon Harris, were also injured in the attack; Shaw was shot in the hand.

The shooting was investigated by West Midlands Police under its then-new Chief Constable, Paul Scott-Lee. Investigators determined the attack was connected to a feud between two Birmingham gangs, the "Johnson Crew" and the "Burger Bar Boys," and was carried out in response to the earlier murder of Yohanne Martin, an associate of the Burger Bar Boys.

In March 2005, four men were convicted of murder and attempted murder at Leicester Crown Court. Marcus Ellis, 24 — Charlene Ellis's half-brother — Michael Gregory, 22, and Nathan Martin, 26 — the brother of Yohanne Martin — were each sentenced to a minimum of 35 years' imprisonment. Rodrigo Simms, 20, received a 27-year sentence, a lesser term attributed to his age at the time of the shooting. The trial was notable as the first in England at which secret (anonymous) witnesses were permitted to give evidence.

The convicted men appealed in 2005 at Woolwich Crown Court, but the appeal was rejected, and they were subsequently refused leave to appeal to the House of Lords. In 2012, Marcus Ellis, Nathan Martin, and Rodrigo Simms brought a further appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, arguing that they had not received a fair trial due to the use of anonymous witnesses. This appeal was also dismissed.

In the years following the killings, the victims' mothers — Marcia Shakespeare and Beverley Thomas — became active campaigners against gun crime and gang violence. In 2006, they established the 'Letisha and Charlene Education Awards,' administered by the Birmingham & Black Country Community Foundation, a registered charity. In December 2016, it was announced that Marcia Shakespeare would be appointed a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours in recognition of her campaigning work.

In 2018, the Italian anti-organised-crime association Libera included the names of Letisha Shakespeare and Charlene Ellis, alongside those of nearly 900 other victims, during its 23rd Day of Remembrance and Commitment for innocent victims of organised crime.

Key facts

Victims
Letisha Shakespeare, Cheryl Shaw, Charlene Ellis, Leon Harris, Sophie Ellis
Date
2003
Location
Birchfield Road, Aston, Birmingham, England
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2003-01-02

    Charlene Ellis and Letisha Shakespeare are shot outside a hair salon on Birchfield Road, Aston, Birmingham, in a gang-related drive-by shooting; three others are injured.

  2. 2005-03

    Four men are convicted of murder and attempted murder at Leicester Crown Court.

  3. 2005

    Convicted men appeal at Woolwich Crown Court; appeal is dismissed and leave to appeal to the House of Lords is refused.

  4. 2006

    Marcia Shakespeare and Beverley Thomas establish the 'Letisha and Charlene Education Awards.'

  5. 2012

    Marcus Ellis, Nathan Martin, and Rodrigo Simms appeal to the European Court of Human Rights; the appeal is dismissed.

  6. 2016-12

    It is announced that Marcia Shakespeare will be appointed MBE in the 2017 New Year Honours.

  7. 2018

    Libera includes Letisha Shakespeare and Charlene Ellis among nearly 900 names remembered during its 23rd Day of Remembrance and Commitment.

Best coverage

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People

  • Letisha Shakespeare

    VICTIM

    17-year-old shot and killed outside a hair salon on 2 January 2003

  • Cheryl Shaw

    VICTIM

    Cousin of Charlene Ellis, shot in the hand during the attack

  • Charlene Ellis

    VICTIM

    18-year-old shot and killed outside a hair salon on 2 January 2003

  • Leon Harris

    VICTIM

    Friend of the victims, injured in the shooting

  • Michael Gregory

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of murder and attempted murder at Leicester Crown Court in March 2005; sentenced to a minimum of 35 years

  • Marcus Ellis

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of murder and attempted murder at Leicester Crown Court in March 2005; sentenced to a minimum of 35 years; Charlene Ellis's half-brother

  • Nathan Martin

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of murder and attempted murder at Leicester Crown Court in March 2005; sentenced to a minimum of 35 years; brother of Yohanne Martin

  • Rodrigo Simms

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of murder and attempted murder at Leicester Crown Court in March 2005; sentenced to 27 years due to his age at the time of the shooting

  • Sophie Ellis

    VICTIM

    Charlene Ellis's twin sister, injured in the shooting

  • Paul Scott-Lee

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Chief Constable of West Midlands Police who oversaw the investigation

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Birchfield Road, Aston, Birmingham, England

52.5077, -1.9025

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Charlene Ellis, 18, and Letisha Shakespeare, 17, were shot dead in a gang-related drive-by shooting outside a hair salon in Aston, Birmingham, in the early hours of 2 January 2003. Four men were convicted of murder and attempted murder in March 2005.
Where did the murder happen?
Birchfield Road, Aston, Birmingham, England.
Who was convicted?
Michael Gregory (Convicted of murder and attempted murder at Leicester Crown Court in March 2005; sentenced to a minimum of 35 years), Marcus Ellis (Convicted of murder and attempted murder at Leicester Crown Court in March 2005; sentenced to a minimum of 35 years; Charlene Ellis's half-brother), Nathan Martin (Convicted of murder and attempted murder at Leicester Crown Court in March 2005; sentenced to a minimum of 35 years; brother of Yohanne Martin), and Rodrigo Simms (Convicted of murder and attempted murder at Leicester Crown Court in March 2005; sentenced to 27 years due to his age at the time of the shooting).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in England

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Charlene Ellis and Letisha ShakespeareWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — BBC NewsBBC News · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — BBC NewsBBC News · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026