A mother stands accused of fatally stabbing her two children, aged seven and 11, allegedly because she did not want her husband to gain custody of them, a jury has been informed.
Veronique John purportedly inflicted more than 20 stab wounds on her son Ethan John and caused severe brain injuries to her daughter Elizabeth John. Following this, she reportedly went to a car wash in a dressing gown and stabbed her partner Nathan John in the stomach.
During a trial-of-facts hearing at Nottingham Crown Court, it was disclosed that Veronique John subsequently returned home and dialed emergency services, confessing, “I am calling to report I just killed my two kids.” Allegedly, she also told police upon their arrival at her Stoke-on-Trent residence, “If you have a gun, shoot me. I am not a monster – he was going to take them from me.”
Further details presented during the trial indicated that John, a charity shop worker from Flax Street, Stoke, had a history of anger and had previously assaulted her husband, suspecting him of infidelity. She allegedly expressed to interviewing officers her intention to harm herself and her children, stating, “I did it because I love my children – to protect the children.”
The prosecution, led by Peter Grieves-Smith, outlined that John’s actions followed a period of escalating tension, exacerbated by marital discord and personal grievances. It was noted that just hours before the incident, she had made a chilling internet search inquiring, “Can a foreigner be charged with murder in the UK?”
Veronique John, aged 50, faces charges including two counts of murder, attempted murder, and an alternative charge of wounding. However, she has been deemed unfit to plead and is undergoing treatment at a secure hospital.
In addressing the jury, Mr. Justice Choudhury emphasized the unusual nature of the trial due to the defendant’s incapacity to participate meaningfully. He underscored their responsibility to determine whether John committed the acts attributed to her, urging them to maintain objectivity despite the emotive nature of the case.
