News, Buckinghamshire
On Christmas Day police received a call not realising at the time it was made by a teenager who had just nearly been killed by his crack cocaine-fuelled father.
Jazwell Brown was given a life sentence with a minimum of 39 years for the murders of Joanne Pearson, 38, and Teohna Grant, 24, at a block of flats in Santa Cruz Avenue, Bletchley, in Milton Keynes.
Brown, 49, also admitted attempting to murder his son, Jake Brown, 18, and his 29-year-old neighbour, Bradley Latter.
Det Ch Insp Stuart Brangwin, from Thames Valley Police, said both Mr Latter and Jake, who was 17 at the time, “gave us a really clear account of what happened – we don’t normally get that”.
Jake described the events as they unfolded in the flat where Ms Pearson lived with Brown, who was her partner.
On Tuesday, during sentencing, Luton Crown Court heard Ms Pearson and her killer had been smoking crack cocaine on Christmas Day, and the attack happened after she refused to hand over the crack pipe in front of the Brown’s son.
She was later found by police just inside the doorway to her flat.
Mr Latter, who lived with his partner Ms Grant, in the flat across the communal landing, was found semi-conscious at the bottom of the stairs as police arrived.
He told police Brown came across the landing and walked into their flat, which was unlocked, and then started his attack with a baseball bat and a knife.
Officers found Ms Grant on the balcony.
Mr Latter “himself suffered something like 20 knife injuries to his neck alone and somehow survived”, said Det Ch Insp Brangwin.
He added that there were “two crystal clear accounts of exactly what has happened” and “after that, it was all about making sure every little bit of that corroborated”.
“We had forensic examinations of the scene, we had lots of members of the public living in nearby properties phoning us as well – each of them had heard little bits of the attack,” he continued.
“One of them [members of the public] even gave us a description and told us his name and told us the registration number of the car Brown got into and used to get away.”
Det Ch Insp Brangwin said: “We were very fortunate in that an unmarked car managed to identify Brown’s car as he made off, and then we managed to coordinate a number of armed response vehicles, and he was arrested within half an hour.
“We were well supported by the community and they did everything to help us build that picture around the two initial accounts we were given.”
When Brown was interviewed by police, he answered no comment throughout.
He gave some unsolicited comments outside of the formal interview in which he simply said he went “loopy”, “lost the plot” and “lost his cool”, said Det Ch Insp Brangwin.
“He made some other comments about it not being self-defence, but we do not really know much other than that about what prompted him to behave the way he did – It almost seems to have come out of nowhere,” said the detective.
Evidence suggested his relationship with Ms Pearson was volatile at times, but there was no clear evidence that it was violent.
“What is clear from the evidence presented by other witnesses is that drugs featured in both his and Jo’s life and their lives did involve the use of cocaine and cannabis,” added Det Ch Insp Brangwin.
“We know he was likely under the influence of cocaine, but really, there is nothing that seems to have prompted it or started it on Christmas Day.
“A number of the families have said the sentencing is just the beginning of the healing process, and I hope it does provide them with an opportunity to start moving forward.”
