Latest news with #samuraiSword
BBC News
22-07-2025
- BBC News
Brighton wife said 'I had no choice' after killing, jury told
A woman who allegedly killed her husband with a samurai sword "stabbing and slicing him" more than 50 times told police "I had no choice", a court Rowland-Stuart, 71, was arrested and originally charged with murdering her husband Andrew Rowland-Stuart, 70, after he was pronounced dead at their home in Lavender Street in Brighton on 27 May Lewes Crown Court on Tuesday, the jury heard the 999 call made to police, in which Ms Rowland-Stuart said: "My husband Andrew has tried to kill me with a samurai sword and in the scuffle I managed to turn the sword towards him and he's fallen onto the sword and he's dead."Jurors had heard that Ms Rowland-Stuart, who identifies as a transgender woman, married Mr Rowland-Stuart, known as Andy, in a civil partnership in 2006. The defendant, who was ruled unfit to plead, was seen in doorbell footage shown to the court wearing only pants, covered in blood and asking neighbours for Sharman, who lived on the same floor as the couple, is seen answering the door to Ms Rowland-Stuart who says "help please", then - when Mr Sharman asks if he should call the police - says "he's dead, Andy's dead".In the 999 call played to the court, Mr Sharman says: "My neighbour's knocked on the door saying her husband's dead. All over her body there's blood." Police body worn camera footage from inside the couple's flat showed officers giving Mr Rowland-Stuart CPR in the lounge while a handcuffed Ms Rowland-Stuart sobbed and said: "I had no choice. We've been together 18 years. I never thought Andrew would do this to me." She added: "Why did you do this to me Andy?"The jury was told text messages between the two in the months leading to the incident were mostly about the mundanities of life, while being mostly kind and affectionate. The last one - on the day Mr Rowland-Stuart died - was about whether they needed more a police search of Ms Rowland-Stuart's emails there was one to a firm specialising in replica weapons from Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, the jury heard. It asked if a shogun tachi - a type of Japanese samurai sword - with a stainless steel blade which was no longer legal could be swapped for an alloy internet searches from Ms Rowland-Stuart's phone in the weeks before the death also showed 14 results for swords including replica swords, curved swords, samurai curved swords, Japanese swords and Japanese sword names, the court was Rowland-Stuart was ruled unfit to plead by Judge Christine Laing KC on Monday, so did not take part in the jury was told that because of this they were deciding whether or not Ms Rowland-Stuart unlawfully killed her trial continues.
BBC News
21-07-2025
- BBC News
Brighton wife killed husband with samurai sword, court told
A woman killed her husband with a samurai sword "stabbing and slicing him" more than 50 times before replacing the sword in its sheath on a stand, a court Rowland-Stuart, 71, was arrested and originally charged with murdering her husband Andrew Rowland-Stuart, 70, after he was pronounced dead at their home in Lavender Street in Brighton on 27 May Lewes Crown Court on Monday, the jury heard that Ms Rowland-Stuart, who has been deemed unfit to plead, told police she had acted in self heard that Ms Rowland-Stuart, who is transgender, married Mr Rowland Stuart, known as Andy, in a civil partnership in 2006. Prosecution barrister Charlotte Newell KC said: "Whatever the cause for attacking Andrew, the sheer number and the nature of the wounds inflicted could not have been a reasonable use of force."The barrister told the court Ms Rowland-Stuart had owned the samurai sword used in the attack for the months before Mr Rowland-Stuart's death, his wife had also searched on the internet for Japanese swords, the court couple, who met in 2001, lived together on the 15th floor of the tower block in told police that they were a "normal couple" and that they had never heard arguing coming from their flat. Messages between the couple were also "generally polite and affectionate towards each other", Ms Newell jury was told that shortly after 19:20 on the day of the incident, Ms Rowland-Stuart was seen on a doorbell camera, stripped down to her pants with blood visible on her legs and stomach. Ms Rowland-Stuart knocked on two neighbours' doors and when one was answered she shouted "help" and "Andy's dead", Ms Newell added that while on the phone to 999, Ms Rowland-Stuart said: "My husband Andrew has tried to kill me with a samurai sword and in the scuffle I managed to turn the sword towards him and he has fallen on the sword." The court heard that when police arrived at the flat they saw blood on the walls, cabinet, sofa and in the Rowland-Stuart's hands, arms and torso were cut and he had injuries to his back and the back of his head, the jury was sword, which was used to inflict all but one of the injures, had been placed in a sheath and back on its stand, the court remaining injury could have been cause by a letter opener, Ms Newell said. The jury heard that Ms Rowland-Stuart, who told police she tried to push the sword out of her husband's hands, had injuries to her hands that were consistent with holding a Rowland-Stuart was ruled unfit to plead by Judge Christine Laing KC earlier on Monday, so did not take part in the jury was told that because of this they were deciding whether or not Ms Rowland-Stuart unlawfully killed her trial continues.
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Trans woman, 71, 'killed husband by slicing him more than 50 times with a samurai sword she bought in the 1980s', court hears
A trans woman killed her husband with a samurai sword by 'stabbing and slicing him' more than 50 times, a court heard. Joanna Rowland-Stuart, 71, has been deemed 'unfit to plead' to the murder of her husband Andrew Rowland-Stuart, 69, in their 15th-floor flat on Lavender Street, Brighton, on May 27 last year. She told police attending the scene that 'she had no choice' but to kill him after he attacked her with the sword, which she bought in the 1980s. When police and paramedics arrived at the scene they tried to conduct life-saving treatment, but Mr Rowland-Stuart's injuries were 'simply not survivable'. On Monday, Jurors at Lewes Crown Court were told they must determine whether Rowland-Stuart's actions were unlawful, but that she would not be involved in proceedings. Prosecuting, Charlotte Newell KC said there was 'no doubt' Rowland-Stuart had inflicted the injuries, 'which she did by stabbing and slicing him over 50 times with a samurai sword'. Ms Newell added: 'Although Joanna Rowland-Stuart made some suggestion to attending police officers at the time that she did act in self-defence - the crown suggest that can safely be rejected. 'On the basis that, whatever the cause for attacking Andrew, the sheer number and the nature of the wounds that she inflicted, could not possibly be a reasonable use of force.' On the evening of the attack, Rowland-Stuart went to her neighbour's flat across the hall from her own, wearing just her underwear and covered in her husband's blood. By this time, she had already tried to wash herself and the sword clean of Andy's blood in the shower, the prosecution said. Her neighbour proceeded to call the police, and she told the operator: 'My husband Andy has tried to kill me with a samurai sword - in the scuffle I have managed to turn the sword towards him and he has fallen on the sword.' Jurors heard that Rowland-Stuart, who is transgender, married Mr Rowland Stuart, known as Andy, in a civil partnership in 2006. Their neighbours gave witness statements that described them as a 'normal couple' who they never heard arguing. Describing the scene, Ms Newell said: 'Andy was lying in the small living room in a pool of blood - he was covered in blood from significant knife wounds to his hands, his arms and to his torso - he was wearing underwear and a long sleeve t-shirt and that was soaked through. 'The samurai sword, which had been used to inflict all bar one of the injuries, had been placed back on a sheath and back on its stand from where it was later recovered.' This morning, Rowland-Stuart was found 'unfit' to plead and participate in her trial. Judge Christine Laing KC ruled: 'She would be an unreliable witness in her own defence and would not be fit to be cross-examined, and for those reasons alone I find her unfit to plead.' A trial of the act, which decides if someone physically committed a crime, rather than their intent, will continue tomorrow morning.
Irish Times
11-07-2025
- Irish Times
Teenager says man convicted of murdering her father ‘deserves every second' of his life sentence
A teenage girl whose father died after being struck with a samurai sword has told a court his murderer 'deserves every second' of his life sentence. Dylan Scannell, of O'Rahilly Street, Cobh, Co Cork , was sentenced to life imprisonment at a sitting of the Central Criminal Court in Cork on Friday for the murder of Ian Baitson (33). The tattoo artist (31) was last month found guilty by a jury after a weeklong trial of murdering the father of two. Jurors heard that Scannell struck Mr Baitson, who owed him a small drug debt, behind the left knee with the sword in the Eurospar car park on Newtown Road, Cobh on March 15th, 2024. Mr Baitson was rushed to hospital to have emergency surgery but died four days later. In a victim impact statement, Zoey Baitson (14) said her father had turned his life around before his death after a period of drug taking. 'We got very close after that. I was so happy to have my Daddy back to his normal self,' she said. 'In March 2024, we all celebrated my younger brother's birthday. Daddy was so happy. Then a few days later we got a call saying my father had been attacked. My heart broke.' Zoey said it was scary to see her father hooked up to multiple machines in Cork University Hospital's intensive care unit. She said two teddy bears were placed on her father's shoulder as he lay in his hospital bed – one from her and one from her baby brother. 'My heart shattered (when my father died) and I never felt so much pain like this. I would never wish this on anyone. You (Scannell) deserve every second of your sentence.' Sarah Geasley, Mr Baitson's former partner, said he was a kind man and a loving father. She said he was stolen from them in a 'senseless, cruel and violent manner' just four days after celebrating their son's third birthday. Ms Geasley said one of the hardest things she ever had to do was tell her son his father is in heaven. 'He associates stars in the sky now with his Daddy. At night, if and when he sees a bright star, he will say 'Look, look Mammy, there's Daddy',' she added. Scannell, a father of two, expressed remorse for his actions in a letter read to the court by his counsel, Tom Creed, SC, He said he would love to take back what he did that day. The evidence at the trial was that Scannell had previously sent Ian Baitson a text messages in which he threatened to chop off his fingers because of a drug debt, which he claimed had at one point amounted to €2,500. Mr Baitson replied insisting he only owed him a couple of hundred euro. On the night of the attack, Mr Baitson had €185 in his pocket which he planned to give to Scannell. However, the evidence was that he never got the chance to hand over the money as he was attacked when they met. 'Ian was my friend and I will have to carry his cross with me for the rest of my days. It was a dark and dangerous time and it will haunt me for the rest of my life,' he said. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon offered her condolences to the Baitson family and praised the eloquence of their victim impact statements.
