Sex attacker Wilbert Mukori jailed after targeting university students in Birmingham

A Birmingham man has today (Tuesday, June 13) been jailed for a series of sexual assaults that mainly targeted university students.

Willbert Mukori from Elswick Grove, in Kingstanding, Birmingham was sentenced to more than four years in prison after pleading guilty earlier this year to 16 sexual offences against 12 women. However, police strongly believe that he could have committed more offences and are appealing to any other victims to come forward.

Mukori targeted young women, mainly university students, who were dressed in gym gear, tracksuit bottoms or figure-hugging clothing. He would loiter around the Lancaster Circus in the city centre near Birmingham Children’s Hospital and follow his victims, making sure they were on their own. 

After following them for a while he would squirt a liquid which had the appearance of semen over the buttocks area of their clothing. Between August 2021 and September 2022, he committed 15 offences in Birmingham, with three women being repeatedly targeted. He was also charged with an offence that happened in Derby in 2016.

Mukori was caught after police issued a CCTV image of a man they wanted to speak to in connection with a sexual assault.  Police received several calls identifying him, but were also called by Mukori himself who said it was all a misunderstanding.

When his house and car were searched, clothing matching the CCTV footage was found and a bottle of cloudy liquid was discovered.

Samples from the victims clothing were tested and identified as Arabic Gum, the same substance that was found in Mukori’s possession. Mukori was bailed with strict conditions not to enter Birmingham city centre while officers pieced all the evidence together.

Between September and February, investigating officers painstakingly trawled police systems to see if there were any other reports that matched this type of offending. His DNA was added to the police national database, which brought back a hit on an offence that happened in Derby in 2016 with exactly the same set of circumstances.

The only difference is that he used his own semen in that attack.   He was re-arrested in February 2023 in connection with 16 offences. His car was searched and officers found a squeezy bottle, hidden inside a shoe box, that was filled with a liquid with a similar appearance to semen.

It’s also believed that Mukori had been travelling across the country while on bail as his bedroom was littered with unpaid parking fines. During police interviews he remained silent but pleaded guilty to all 16 sexual assaults when he appeared in court in March 2023. Today (Tuesday, June 13) he was sentenced to four years and six months in jail and will be on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Detective Constable Suzanna Doidge, the investigating officer at West Midlands Police, said: “These sexual offences targeted young women who were selected by Mukori based on their appearance and attire, some who were repeatedly targeted. He was careful, methodical and planned. His offending spans over seven years and although there appears to be a gap in his offending I believe that there may be other victims out there who haven’t come forward.

“This is such an unusual case. The collective harassment of these female students along with repeat victimisation is concerning. We have a perpetrator who has repeatedly executed an unconsented pattern of behaviour over the course of seven years, who, whilst on police bail was re-arrested and found in possession of equipment to assist him in continuing to offend.

“I would like to thank the victims for coming forward and working with me. They have all said that this has really affected their confidence, that they still feel unsafe being out alone and no-one should ever feel like that. I hope this result can empower them and aid in their recovery.

“This type of criminal behaviour can escalate from serial non-contact sexual offences to the gravest offences. It is crucial that we stop perpetrators at the earliest opportunity and prevent further offending. We will take violence against women seriously and will advocate for anyone who comes forward.”

What to do if you have been attacked by Wilbert Mukori

West Midlands Police has created an online portal for anyone who has had similar incidents happen to them to come forward. Officers are encouraging any more victims to come forward by contacting them through a special online portal set up just for this case. You can access the portal through our website or by clicking on this link: West Midlands Police Witness Appeal