Gang who shot Birmingham teen Connor Smith to death over cannabis row post ‘menacing’ snaps from their jail cell

THE convicted killers of Birmingham teen Connor Smith have shared bare-chested selfies from prison with the pair smiling menacingly at the camera.

An investigation has now been launched after drug dealers Leon Frye and Philip Baillie were seen to be posing in photographs apparently taken on a contraband phone, with one shot even showing convicted murderer Frye flexing his muscles at the camera.

Victim Connor Smith, 19, was shot in an alleyway following a "trivial pursuit" with the drug dealers in Hawkesley.

Ladywood local Frye, 28, was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison for murder in May.

His accomplice Baillie, 28, was cleared of murder but was convicted of manslaughter, robbery and two counts of possession of a firearm. The Hawkesley local was handed a 20-year sentence.

The images, taken just months into the men's sentences, have now sparked an investigation with it a criminal offence for an inmate to be in possession of a mobile phone.

The images were shared on the social media pages of the pair's friends and family.

The Prison Service has now launched an urgent investigation after the matter was brought to its attention by media.

In one blurry photo, the pair can be seen squinting at the camera.

Frye, wearing a grey t-shirt holds his hands up in a V pose while Baillie tilts his head back for the photo.

Another photo shows Leon Frye standing in front of a door, wearing only grey trackpants, while flexing his arms.

In the background, the photograph shows a pile of towels to the right while a blue collared shirt hangs from the door.

A plastic bag, presumably for rubbish, also hands next to a collection of toiletries, including toothbrushes.

The Prison Service has since said the behaviour of the two inmates was "completely unacceptable".

In a statement, it said: "This behaviour is completely unacceptable and we are urgently investigating these images.

"Any offender found to have a mobile phone in prison can face tough punishment, including a police investigation, which could result in extra time behind bars.

"We are determined to do all we can to prevent prisoners having access to mobile phones and we are stepping up measures to find and block them."

The carefree photos come as the pair have spent just a few months of their sentence in jail.

They were sentenced after the October 8 2015 murder, with the court hearing the Fyre and Baillie had stolen a bag of cannabis worth £50 from Connor and a friend.

Prosecutor Simon Denison QC told the Birmingham Crown Court that Connor had become enraged when the pair threatened his younger brother with a loaded gun.

The two fighting sides, both armed, then met in an alleyway.

But when Frye reached for a gun and Connor tried to stop him, stabbing his attacker, the 19-year-old was shot several times, including one at point blank range.

A post-mortem revealed the teen had been shot in his left arm with a second fatal bullet hitting the left side of his chest.

He died at the scene.

Connor's heartbroken mum, Lisa, issued a victim impact statement after the case saying her life would never be the same.

She said: "To try and put into words how it has affected the family is impossible.

"Connor had his whole life ahead of him

"He was growing into a lovely young man and was planning to go to college. He was extremely focused and he knew what he wanted from life.

"No parent should ever have to say goodbye to their child.

"I thought I knew what a broken heart felt like, but I now feel completely empty and lost. Part of me is missing.

"I will never get the chance to hold my boy in my arms. I will never see him get married or to be the father he could have been to his children."

Detective Inspector Warren Hines, from West Midlands Police, said Frye was a "lawless, violent, unstable criminal".

He said: "Baillie is a drug dealer who has no regard for anybody else and is only focused on his own drug dealing.

"I'm happy that two really dangerous criminals will be spending a significant period of time  behind bars.

"I hope that the people of Hawkesley will sleep safer in their beds knowing that they are both in prison.”

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