Father and daughter guilty of murder and disposal in West Bromwich canal case

A father and daughter have been found guilty of their roles in the murder and disposal of a vulnerable woman's body in a West Bromwich canal. John Anslow, 65, was convicted of murdering Chereiss Bailey, 36, while his daughter, HayleyMarie Ferguson, 42, was found guilty of assisting an offender and preventing a lawful burial. The verdicts were delivered at Birmingham Crown Court on September 3, 2026. The court heard that Ms. Bailey, a mother, was last seen alive on September 27, 2025, after meeting Anslow on Great Bridge Street in West Bromwich. She was taken to his home on Stour Street, where she was subjected to a violent assault that led to her death. Anslow, who presented himself as a vulnerable wheelchair user, then called his daughter for help the following morning. Ferguson traveled to her father's home by taxi, bringing paving slabs with her. Prosecutors stated she helped clean the property and remove incriminating evidence before attending a Peaky Blinders-themed event that evening. In the early hours of September 29, she returned to Anslow's address. CCTV footage and images from Ferguson's phone showed the pair wheeling Ms.