A drug dealer accused his girlfriend’s stepdad of stealing his wallet moments before he killed them both along with two other family members in a horror quadruple stabbing. Joshua Jacques denies murdering his girlfriend Samantha Drummonds, 27, her mum Tanysha Ofori-Akuffo, her grandmother Dolet Hill, 64, and Ms Hill’s partner Denton Burke, 58, at their home in Bermondsey, south London on April 25 last year.
However Jacques, 29, has admitted manslaughter at the Old Bailey. The cocaine dealer admitted to his psychiatrist that he had doubled his £10 a day cannabis habit at the time of the killing because it was around the time of his birthday, while it was revealed he was also a regular user of party drug MDMA.
Jurors also heard how Mr Jacques became flirtatious with a prison psychiatrist at HMP Belmarsh, where he was held in custody in May 2022 after the bloodbath, MyLondon reports. Mr Jacques was “aggressive” and “difficult to interview” – while workers at the notorious prison say he became “overfamiliar” with female staff.
The murder-accused told one psychiatrist, Dr Daly, he ‘loses control’ and ‘started to get angry’ if ‘I do not feel love’ and ‘if I feel people are taking the p*** out of me’.
Jacques, of Minard Road in Lewisham, south east London, smiled in court as forensic psychiatrist Dr Raman Deo gave evidence on Tuesday (December 12), telling jurors the defence of insanity was not available to Mr Jacques but that he was ‘suffering abnormal mental function’ which did ‘substantially impair his responsibility’ for the alleged murders.
Jacques was sedated at the scene of the alleged murders in Delaford Road, before being rushed to hospital where doctors summised that he was haveing “an acute mental health episode”. Another doctor made the exact same observation just 48 hours later, before he was taken to HMP Belmarsh prison.
Describing his interactions with a female psychiatrist, Dr Deo said: “She also described he was disinhibited with her. Being flirtatious and asking to take her out. This was unusual in the context of the meeting.”
Describing the police interview, Dr Deo said: “On being asked where his girlfriend was, he made a comment saying he did not know but it was for the greater good. He stated his partner Ms Drummonds was a bit worried about him and that her family thought he was a bit mad.”
The court heard that Jacques had “delusional” thoughs prior to the horror quadruple stabbing, which included Covid conspiracy theories, and the thoughts that someone was bugging his phone.
Referring to Mr Jacques’ mental health episode, Dr Deo said: “It substantially impaired his ability to form a rational judgement on the night in question… He was manic and paranoid around a number of issues and the perceived theft of his wallet by the victims.”
Mr Jacques has pleaded guilty to four counts of manslaughter but denies murdering the family. The trial under the Honourable Mr Justice Simon Bryan at London’s Central Criminal Court continues.
