Quadruple murderer who went on ‘horror movie’ drug-fuelled stabbing rampage is jailed for life
Joshua Jacques set to serve at least 46 years after attacking his girlfriend and three of her family members in their own home
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A quadruple murderer who went on a drug-fuelled stabbing rampage compared to a “horror movie” by the victims’ family has been jailed for life.
Joshua Jacques, 29, was driven by drugs and alcohol when he attacked his girlfriend Samantha Drummonds and three of her family members in their own home, leaving a “bloodbath” in his wake.
The volatile cannabis abuser claimed he killed his victims at their terraced house in Delaford Road, Bermondsey, south London, early on 25 April 2022 as a “sacrifice for the greater good”.
The Metropolitan Police found the bodies of Ms Drummonds, 27, her mother Tanysha Ofori-Akuffo, 45, also known as Rachquel, and grandmother Dolet Hill, 64, “heaped together” in the kitchen, while the body of Ms Hill’s partner, Denton Burke, 58, was found at the foot of the stairs.
After being alerted to a disturbance by a neighbour, armed officers also discovered Jacques naked and lying in the upstairs bathroom in a praying position, screaming “Allah, take me!”, “Kill me now”, “Get rid of me”, and “God please forgive me”.
However, later, at Lewisham Hospital, he said: “I ain’t even in the wrong, I did them for sacrifice”, and also warned: “I will do something stupid again.”
At the Old Bailey on Friday, Mr Justice Bryan sentenced Jacques to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 45 years and 301 days, which takes into account time spent on remand. The judge warned the defendant: “The minimum term is just that – after it is served there is no guarantee that you’ll be released at that time or any particular time thereafter.”
Addressing Jacques in the dock, Mr Justice Bryan said he had committed a “horrific catalogue of murders... in the most brutal of circumstances on three generations of the same family”. He said Jacques’ offending had been contributed to by cannabis abuse but that he was “well aware” of the impact of it on his mental health. “You and you alone bear responsibility... for what occurred during your drug-induced psychosis,” the judge said.
In a statement read to the court, Tracey-Ann Henry – who is the daughter of Ms Hill, stepdaughter of Mr Burke, sister of Ofori-Akuffo and aunt of Ms Drummonds – described Jacques’ attack on her “incredible” family as “brutal, senseless, savage and barbaric”.
The devastated Ms Henry said: “Sometimes I wonder if it’s real. How can someone kill four people in one night? It’s like something out of a horror movie.”
Julieth Hutchinson, the sister of “beloved” Mr Burke and close friend of Ms Hill, similarly said: “It’s unbelievable what happened – it’s like something from a horror movie.”
Explaining her reasons for appearing as a witness during the “draining” trial, Ms Henry added: “I wanted the jury to know that not just four people had been murdered, but my whole family had – that whole generation of my family had been taken away.”
Jacques had admitted their manslaughters but denied murder on the basis that he was mentally unwell at the time.
An Old Bailey jury deliberated for two hours to find Jacques, from Minard Road, Lewisham, south-east London, guilty of four counts of murder on 21 December.
Paul Raudnitz KC, mitigating for Jacques at the sentencing hearing, said the attack was not pre-meditated.
He also read out an apology from his client to the victims’ families – the first time that Jacques has expressed remorse for his actions. “I would like to say to the family of the deceased, I am truly and sincerely sorry for all of the anguish, pain and heartache I have caused,” Jacques wrote, adding: “I have discussed it with myself and I cannot believe that I am the cause of this monstrosity.”
Jacques appeared emotionless as he was sentenced. A cry of “murderer” could be heard from the public gallery as he was sent down.
Jurors were told Jacques had 11 previous convictions for 20 offences, including for cannabis, being in possession of a silver knuckle duster, and robbery.
He first had a mental health assessment in April 2016 after seeking hospital treatment for drinking water from a toilet.
He was arrested after he threatened to stab and shoot a security officer, and, while in police custody, threw food around his cell.
He said he had taken 3g of skunk cannabis a day and refused to consider cutting down, saying he would carry on smoking marijuana “even if it killed” him.
In 2018, he was detained under the Mental Health Act after he was seen praying in the middle of a busy road in Brixton, south London, and was in hospital from April 27 to around 7 August of that year.
Initially on admission, the impression was of drug-induced mania with psychotic features, jurors were told.
In February 2020, he was jailed for 51 months for conspiring to deal heroin and crack cocaine, and possessing cannabis. He was released on 11 November 2021.
In probation reports from April 2022, Jacques was described as chatty and engaged.
Three days before the killing, he called his probation officer to say that he had been offered a job at a radio station.
Two days later, Ms Drummonds confided in a friend that she believed Jacques was having an “episode” and had been “chatting all night and was fixated on topics”.
Mr Little told jurors no medical calls were made before the killings nor was Jacques taken to hospital.
Last April 25, Jacques had visited the house where Mr Burke and Ms Hill lived only for the second time.
Ms Ofori-Akuffo, also known as Racquel, sometimes stayed at the property to care for her mother, who was receiving treatment for cancer, while Ms Drummonds had been living there as her own flat was undergoing renovation, Mr Little told jurors.
After Jacques launched his attack, Ms Drummonds called his mother Norma Derrivere but all she was able to say was “Norma he’s sta… sta… ahhh”.
There were also FaceTime calls between Jacques and his mother that evening, and during one, after 2am, he said: “I’m ending it, I’m gonna make a sacrifice.”
Neighbour Alice Canal heard a cat screeching, a male voice swearing, movement, banging and what she believed was someone falling down stairs, which prompted her to call 999 at around 1.42am.
It was claimed on his behalf that Jacques had exhibited manic symptoms consistent with bipolar disorder.
He doubled his skunk cannabis intake from his birthday on April 19 2022 – just days before the killings.
However, that escalation came weeks after he began having trouble sleeping which was a symptom of mania, the defence argued.
Following the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Linda Bradley said: “Jacques brutally murdered four completely innocent people, and destroyed the lives of those left behind.
“The families have shown immense strength and dignity throughout the lengthy trial, and I know they are still trying to to come to terms with Jacques’ cruel actions.
“I can say, hand on heart, 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. We are pleased and relieved that the jury accepted this argument.”