By A deeply disturbing case has unfolded in Stoke-on-Trent, UK, where a mother stands accused of killing her two children and stabbing her husband. Veronique John, 50, allegedly committed these acts out of fear that her husband would take the children away from her.
The Nottingham Crown Court heard that John reportedly stabbed her 11-year-old son Ethan multiple times and inflicted a fatal head injury on her 7-year-old daughter Elizabeth. Following these tragic events, she allegedly attacked her husband Nathan John at a car wash, stabbing him in the stomach.
According to prosecutor Peter Grieves-Smith, John called emergency services herself, stating: “I am calling to report I just killed my two kids.” When police arrived at her home, she reportedly told officers: “If you have a gun shoot me. I am not a monster – he was going to take them from me.”
The court was informed that John had been arrested the day before the incident for assaulting her husband with a piece of wood. She was released with a community resolution notice after being interviewed under caution.
Hours before the alleged murders, John, originally from the Caribbean island of St Vincent, had searched online: “Can a foreigner be charged with murder in the UK?” This search history, along with her statements to the police, paints a picture of premeditation and desperation.
John faces charges of two counts of murder, attempted murder, and an alternative count of wounding. However, she has been ruled unfit to plead, leading to an unusual legal proceeding known as a trial of facts.
In a trial of facts, the jury does not determine guilt or innocence but rather decides whether the defendant committed the alleged acts. This process is used when a defendant is deemed unable to participate meaningfully in their own defense due to mental health issues or other factors.
Mr Justice Choudhury explained to the jury: “Your task is to decide whether the defendant did the acts of unlawfully inflicting injuries on and killing Ethan and Elizabeth which led to their deaths, and unlawfully inflicting injuries to Mr John.”
This case highlights complex issues surrounding mental health, domestic violence, and the legal system’s approach to defendants deemed unfit to stand trial. As the proceedings continue, it serves as a somber reminder of the devastating consequences of familial breakdown and the importance of mental health support and intervention.
The outcome of this trial of facts will determine what measures, if any, will be taken regarding John’s care and supervision, rather than resulting in a traditional criminal sentence. This approach reflects the legal system’s attempt to balance public safety with the recognition of mental health factors in criminal cases.
thesun.co.uk
