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Man ‘stabbed girlfriend and her family members to death in drug-fuelled attack’ | UK News


Samantha Drummonds was killed alongside three others during the attack (Picture: PA)

A knifeman stabbed his girlfriend and her family to death in a ‘violent and brutal’ drug and alcohol-fuelled attack, a court has heard.

Joshua Jacques, 29, is accused of fatally stabbing girlfriend Samantha Drummonds, 27, her mother Tanysha Ofori-Akuffo, 45, her grandmother Dolet Hill, 64, and Ms Hill’s partner, Denton Burke, 58, in April 2022.

Police were called to Ms Hill’s terraced home in Bermondsey, south London, where they discovered Mr Burke’s body at the foot of the stairs and the three women in the kitchen.

Prosecutors say Jacques left ‘a bloodbath in his wake’ after inflicting numerous stab wounds with multiple knives.

All victims were pronounced dead at the scene, killing ‘three generations in one family’.

Prosecutor Tom Little KC told jurors at the Old Bailey: ‘This case involves not one death, not two deaths, and not even three deaths but four violent and brutal deaths at the hands of this defendant.

Undated handout photo issued by the Metropolitan Police of Tanysha Ofori-Akuffo, 45, who was murdered at an address in Bermondsey. Joshua Jacques, 28, of Minard Road, SE6 will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday, 28 April charged with the murders of Dolet Hill, 64, Denton Burke, 58, Tanysha Ofori-Akuffo, 45, and Samantha Drummonds, 27. Issue date: Thursday April 28, 2022. PA Photo. Jacques was charged on Thursday, 28 April following an investigation by homicide detectives from the Met's Specialist Crime Command. See PA story POLICE Southwark. Photo credit should read: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

Tanysha Ofori-Akuffo was killed alongside her daughter and mum (Picture: PA)

Undated handout photo issued by the Metropolitan Police of Dolent Hill, 64, and Denton Burke, 58, who were murdered at an address in Bermondsey. Joshua Jacques, 28 of Minard Road, SE6 will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday, 28 April charged with the murders of Dolet Hill, 64, Denton Burke, 58, Tanysha Ofori-Akuffo, 45, and Samantha Drummonds, 27. Issue date: Thursday April 28, 2022. PA Photo. Jacques was charged on Thursday, 28 April following an investigation by homicide detectives from the Met's Specialist Crime Command. See PA story POLICE Southwark. Photo credit should read: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

Dolet Hill and her partner Denton Burke were also killed (Picture: PA)



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LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 28: Floral tributes are left outside a property in Bermondsey on April 28, 2022 in London, England. Joshua Jacques, 28, appeared at Westminster Magistrates this morning accused of killing Dolet Hill, her partner, Denton Burke, at their home in Bermondsey. Dolet Hill's daughter, Tanysha Ofori-Akuffo and granddaughter Samantha Drummonds also died. They were stabbed in the early hours of Monday 25 May,2022. (Photo by Rob Pinney/Getty Images)

Floral tributes were laid outside the home after the incident (Picture: Getty)

‘There is no dispute or issue other than that it was the defendant that killed all four of the victims and that he did so by attacking them. He did so by stabbing them, cutting them and slashing them.’

The prosecution is arguing that Jacques killed the family with ‘murderous intent’ while under ‘self-induced intoxication’.

KC Little continued: ‘This, we say, led to a transient psychotic disorder not meeting the requirements for the defendant to make out a partial defence of diminished responsibility.’

In the days before the attack, Ms Drummonds told her best friend Ayo Omosuyi she believed Jacques was having an ‘episode’ and had been ‘chatting all night and was fixated on topics’.

In a voice message sent to Ms Omosuyi on April 24, 2022, she said: ‘Literally like this weekend has just been a myth, like basically in a nutshell Josh is basically getting to the point where he could basically have an episode, like I don’t know what’s triggered him.

‘It’s just a myth innit obviously tomorrow is Monday and obviously doctors are gonna get. He just needs to get his medication innit.’

Jacques, of Lewisham, south-east London, has pleaded guilty to the manslaughters but denies murder – the trial continues.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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