Woman stabbed to death on Christmas Day after she and partner left door unlocked
Teohna Grant, 24, was stabbed to death by her neighbour Jazwell Brown, who also murdered his partner Joanne Pearson and tried to kill two more people, including his son
A young woman who was spending Christmas Day with her boyfriend was killed by her drugged-up neighbour in a "frenzied" attack after they left their door unlocked. Jazwell Brown, 49, fatally stabbed his partner Joanne Pearson, 38, with a kitchen knife and beat her with a baseball bat in their flat in Milton Keynes while high on crack cocaine.
He then attempted to do the same to his 18-year-old son Jake Brown, who survived the incident, Luton Crown Court was told. Brown then entered his neighbour's flat where he killed Teohna Grant, 24, and tried to murder her boyfriend Bradley Latter, 29, by stabbing him multiple times. Ms Pearson was stabbed 31 times in the attack, while Ms Grant suffered five sharp force injuries, including a deep stab wound to the neck. The attacker's son was left with a life-threatening wound to his chest.
Brown, who carried out the unprovoked attacks after taking cocaine, appeared in court today, where he was jailed for life. Mr Justice Kerr sentenced Brown to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 39 years.
He told the defendant: "The terrible crimes you committed that day have torn apart the lives of many people."
The judge said he accepted a psychiatric report that "the use of illegal drugs was the immediate trigger of the attacks", adding: "That intoxication was voluntary." He said that Brown's assault on his son Jake was "a terrible betrayal of a son's natural trust in his father".
Earlier, the court heard the defendant had lived on the second floor of a communal housing block in Santa Cruz Avenue, Bletchley, and had been in an "unhealthy" relationship with Ms Pearson for several years, with both taking Class A drugs.
Jake Brown visited their flat on the evening of December 25 last year, and the defendant "seemed to become suspicious" after Ms Pearson was reluctant to smoke crack cocaine in front of the teenager, prosecutor Deanna Heer KC said.
"The defendant then picked up a screwdriver and a kitchen knife from the table in the living room and approached Pearson, who asked him what he was doing and tried to walk away," the prosecutor said. "Without saying a word, he began to stab her with the knife repeatedly in a frenzied attack.
"Jake Brown tried to pull his father away from her, only for the defendant to turn to him and stab him in the chest." The teenager called the police as he hid in the bathroom, where he heard Ms Pearson's dog Tilly squeal as if in pain, before Brown breached the room, holding the baseball bat.
Brown then made his way across the communal landing to the flat next door, where Mr Latter and Ms Grant, who had left their door unlocked, were sitting in the living room enjoying a quiet Christmas day, the court heard. The defendant then stabbed both victims multiple times with a "blank" face, Ms Heer said.
After leaving the second flat, Brown then fled the scene in his car, forcing his way through police officers trying to stop him, before driving off without switching his headlights on.
His car was eventually brought to a halt by armed police in Milton Keynes, with a bloodstained knife found on the passenger seat and spots of Ms Pearson's and Mr Latter's blood found on his trainers, the court heard.
Whilst in a cell following his arrest, Brown made the unsolicited comment that he had "gone f****** crazy", before later saying: "Not self-defence. Murder. It's plain murder, not self-defence. Murder."
Mr Justice Kerr sentenced Brown to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 39 years for each of the murders of Ms Pearson and Ms Grant, with the sentences to run concurrently.
He also handed down 21 years imprisonment and 18 years imprisonment for the attempted murders of Mr Litter and Jake Brown respectively, an 18-month sentence for possession of a knife in a public place and a nine-month sentence for causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, all to run concurrently. Appearing in the dock, Brown spoke only to confirm his identity and showed no emotion when the sentence was passed.
Family members supporting the victims in the public gallery could be heard shouting at the defendant and applauding as they left the courtroom. Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Brangwin of Thames Valley Police said: "The events that unfolded on that day were truly horrific and tragic.
"We may never know what prompted Brown to behave the way he did. In his own home, he stabbed his partner Jo 31 times, before turning the knife and a baseball bat on a teenage boy. Brown also repeatedly stabbed Jo's dog, Tilly, who survived despite her injuries. What remains even more incomprehensible is why Brown then left his home and tried the front door of a nearby flat, taking the knife and baseball bat with him.
"It was in this flat that he stabbed Teohna multiple times, causing fatal injuries. Teohna's partner Bradley was also brutally attacked, sustaining more than 20 injuries to his neck alone. Somehow, Bradley survived." Mr Brangwin said the scenes faced by emergency services following the incident were "indescribable".
He added: "The surviving victims and the families of Teohna and Jo have suffered enormously throughout this process. I would like to thank them for placing their trust in Thames Valley Police and the Crown Prosecution Service, allowing us the time and space to thoroughly investigate and bring Brown to justice."
Lawyer Celia Mardon, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "We worked closely with Thames Valley Police to build a case to secure justice for all of those affected by Jazwell Brown's inexplicable and violent actions. Compelling evidence in our case included the accounts of eyewitnesses which were supported by forensic evidence.
"DNA from a baseball bat found in the kitchen and a knife recovered from Brown's car pointed to these being the weapons he used in the attack. Blood from some of the victims was also on his trainers and clothing. And while in custody, Brown made self-incriminating remarks, including 'Not self-defence. Murder. It's plain murder'.
"Given the overwhelming evidence against him, Brown admitted to his crimes, thankfully sparing the victims' families and friends the ordeal of a trial. We hope that today's sentence helps them in some small way to find the strength and support they need as they continue on their path towards healing."
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