FOUR men have been charged with the murder of prisoner Adnan Rafiq at HMP Hewell in Tardebigge.

Mr Rafiq, aged 25, was found with serious assault injuries at the Hewell Lane prison on Monday last week.

He was taken to University Hospital at Coventry in a critical condition but died on Thursday evening, January 31.

After he was found, West Mercia Police launched an investigation into the incident and arrested four other inmates on suspicion of attempted murder later on the Monday.

Following the death of Mr Rafiq, from Moseley in Birmingham, they were charged with murder and appeared at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday.

The case has been adjourned until May 3 when a plea and case management hearing will be held.

The men are Jahnel Faure, 28 and originally from West Bromwich; Jermaine Christie, aged 27, originally from Birmingham and later Telford; Paul Coulter, aged 27, originally from Swansea and Barry Mundle aged 34, originally from Wolverhampton.

A number of tributes from both family and friends have been paid to Mr Rafiq, who has been described as “good man”.

A tribute page has been set up on the social networking site Facebook, R.I.P Adnan, which has attracted almost 4,500 people who have ‘liked’ it since last week.

One relative called him “my most amazing cousin” and said that it was devastating for the family losing him but even though he is gone he will not be forgotten.

A friend described the prisoner as “one in a billion and will be missed”.