A man who killed three generations of the same family in what he called a ‘sacrifice for the greater good’ has been convicted of murder.
Joshua Jacques, 29 (19.04.94) of Minard Road, Lewisham had pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility but was convicted of four counts of murder by a jury at the Old Bailey.
Jacques’ partner 27-year-old Samantha Drummonds; her mother Tanysha Ofori-Akuffo, 45, and her grandmother Dolet Hill, 64, were violently killed by Jacques at their home in Bermondsey, as was Dolet’s partner Denton Burke, aged 58.
Detective Chief Inspector Linda Bradley said: “Jacques carried out four brutal murders, not only killing four completely innocent people, but destroying the lives of those left behind.
“The families have shown immense dignity by coming to court and sitting through a lengthy trial, despite still struggling to come to terms with Jacques’ utterly senseless actions.
“This is one of the most shocking cases our team has worked on, and we worked tirelessly to prove that Jacques was guilty of murder rather than manslaughter, an account we are pleased the jury accepted. The victims and their families remain in our thoughts, and we hope the verdict brings some solace.”
In the early hours of 25 April 2022, a neighbour called 999 after hearing a disturbance at Dolet and Denton’s home on Delaford Road. Samantha and her mother Tanysha were also staying at the property at the time.
Officers attended and after getting no response, forced entry into the house. The body of Denton Burke was found at the bottom of the stairs.
The bodies of Samantha, Tanysha and Dolet were all found in the kitchen. All of the victims had been stabbed multiple times.
Jacques was located upstairs in the bathroom. After a struggle with officers he was arrested and taken into custody. While under arrest, he made comments including that he ‘had to sacrifice for the greater good’. Although Jacques admitted killing the four victims, he said he had blacked out and that he was suffering from a mental health condition which led to the deaths.
Forensic psychiatric evidence was produced in court and physical evidence further linked Jacques to the scene, including his fingerprints in blood, as well as the recovery of the kitchen knife used to carry out the killings. When all of the evidence was heard by the jury, their verdict was that Jacques was guilty of murder.
Jacques will be sentenced on 9 February 2024.
