Monckton murder: The evidence, by police

The Legal and General bonds director, 49, was stabbed to death when two robbers forced their way into his multi-million pound home.

His wife, Homeyra, 46, was nearly killed in the attack on the evening of 29 November 2004. She was saved only by a 999 call by their nine-year-old daughter Isabelle, who witnessed the attack from the top floor of the terraced house at 30 Upper Cheyne Row.

Damien Hanson, 24, was found guilty of the murder, attempted murder and robbery.

An Old Bailey jury cleared his co-robber, Elliot White, of attempting to murder Mrs Monckton, but convicted him of her husband's manslaughter and wounding her with intent.

The events of 29 November, as told by police

White rang the doorbell whilst Hanson crouched down out of sight of the spy-hole. White was dressed as a postman wearing a knee length orange and blue florescent jacket and had a small parcel in his hand. He also had a postal sack over his shoulders and a balaclava on his head, although this was rolled up to look like a woolly hat.

Initially Homeyra answered the intercom and was told by White that he had a parcel for John Victor Monckton or John V Monckton, so she called her husband downstairs. He had been with his daughter. A conversation took place at the doorway during which John kept the chain on. Having been satisfied by White's appearance that he was a genuine postman, he took the chain off the door in order to receive the parcel, and possibly sign for receipt of it.

Almost immediately Hanson and White began to push the door open using bodily pressure. John tried to push the door shut and as he did so he was shouting "no, no, no". He was joined by Homeyra who tried to assist. However, they were not strong enough to stop both men forcing their way into the house.

Homeyra turned to run up the stairs to activate the panic alarm. As she made her way to the stairs she was pursued by Hanson who began attacking her, stabbing her in the back. John was in a struggle with White at the doorway to the lounge, just inside the front door.

Homeyra managed to make her way to the first flight of stairs before feeling a dampness, heat and paralysis, causing her to sit down. She told John that she was bleeding. Hanson, who was wearing a balaclava with eye and mouth holes but otherwise covering his face, was standing in front of Homeyra with a knife in his right hand and a gun in his left.

Hanson told Homeyra to give him her jewellery and watch; she took off her rings, earrings and watch and gave them to Hanson. He then demanded money. Hanson took her purse.

During the attack on Homeyra, Isabelle heard her mother screaming and came to the landing and looked downstairs. The house is a town house on four floors with the kitchen in the basement with bedrooms, playroom and bathrooms on the upper floors. She saw a man on the stairs wearing what she described as black clothing with a '64' motif on his back. She remained upstairs even though she could hear her mother screaming.

Hanson then left Homeyra. She tried to stand up but was unable to control her body and slid down the stairs. She could not feel her legs. She called out to tell John that she had been stabbed.

Hanson made his way towards John and without warning began stabbing him in the right arm and body, and in the process also stabbed White in his left arm. John became limp and fell to the floor in the doorway to the lounge.

Hanson ran out of the house and was followed by White.

Homeyra then called for Isabelle to come downstairs and call the police. By the time Isabelle reached the ground floor the men had left the house. She closed and chained the front door and then made the call to the police. In order to do so, she had had to walk past both her mother and father who were on the floor bleeding profusely. She dialled 999 and called police and the ambulance service.

Several witnesses were in the vicinity of Upper Cheyne Row and Glebe Place at the time of the robbery. White and Hanson were seen to run along Glebe Place, from the direction of Upper Cheyne Row towards Bramerton Street. Hanson ran ahead of White. A witness heard White say words to the effect "You're the business" to Hanson.

Police attended 30 Upper Cheyne Row, followed quickly by ambulance staff. Initially police had difficulty gaining entry as both front and rear doors were locked, and Isabelle had put the chain back on the front door. Police eventually gained entry and saw Homeyra Monckton sitting at the foot of the stairs in obvious pain. Her clothing was soaked in blood. She was described as very pale and barely conscious. Her breathing was very shallow and irregular and her condition was deteriorating. She was given CPR by both police and ambulance staff.

To the right, lying in the doorway to the lounge, was John Monckton. He was on his back and there was blood on his chest. He was not moving and after checking for signs of life, the first officer on the scene could not feel any pulse. The ambulance staff who attended to John found that his breathing had become suspended and he was in cardiac arrest. CPR was carried out in the house.

John and Homeyra Monckton were taken in separate ambulances and arrangements were made for family friends to care for Isabelle. John Monckton was taken to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and arrived at approximately 8.10pm. The time of death was recorded as 8.35pm.

Homeyra Monckton was taken to St. Thomas' Hospital, where she underwent life saving surgery.

The movements of White and Hanson

After the attack White and Hanson drove to south London in White's Ford Mondeo, registration R987GTM, where they changed their clothing. They put the clothing worn during the murder into the postal sack and set fire to it on some wasteland adjacent to council offices in Lunham Road, Upper Norwood, south east London.

Witnesses saw White and Hanson running away from the fire which had just been set alight.

The London Fire Brigade received a 999 call at 8.55pm. Upon arrival the fire officers saw a small fire, which they extinguished.

At 9.05pm Hanson and White took a taxi from the cab office of Dulwich Cars/Eagle Cars at Crystal Palace Parade to Shepherds Bush. The taxi office is close to the burn site.

The taxi dropped them off in Uxbridge Road, Shepherds Bush. CCTV footage shows both men walking along Uxbridge Road just before 10pm. Three minutes later the CCTV of the Best West Caribbean take-away showed them entering the shop.

White was complaining of an injury to his arm and asked for a Band-Aid. When the injury was revealed, the witness observed he needed more substantial help. Blood was seen flowing from a cut to the inside of his left arm.

A facial mapping expert compared the take-away video footage with images taken of Hanson shortly after his arrest. His concluded that the person shown in the take away was Hanson.

At 10.41pm both defendants took a taxi from Shepherds Bush to Streatham. En route White requested to go to Richmond Way, where he was dropped off.

Hanson was taken to a side road in Streatham Common/Crown Lane, not far from the Hestia Bail Hostel, Leigham Court Road, where he was living at the time. White's Ford Mondeo was later found parked approximately 110 yards from this hostel. CCTV footage from the hostel that night shows Hanson's return at 11.09pm.

Medical evidence

Homeyra Monckton had two stab wounds to the left side of her back and part of a rib bone was severed. Her lower left lung was punctured in three places.

Examination by John Monckton by a pathologist revealed the following stab wounds:

• 12cm deep into the heart;
• 11cm deep into the chest, incising a rib and entering the right lung;
• one right through his upper right arm;
• 5cm deep stab to the upper right part of the pelvis;
• 2cm deep stab to his shoulder blade;
• wounds to both hands, apparently sustained as he tried to fend of the attack.

The pathologist concluded that John Monckton died of a stab wound to the chest.

The police investigation

Between 30 November and 5 December 2004 police searched 30 Upper Cheyne Row and its surrounding streets. They found a bloodstained leaf in Glebe Place on the road, plus more blood at number 30 on the stair banister, stair spindle, hallway wall, front door frame and the lobby floor; Forensic tests concluded most of the blood was from White.

Also, an empty cardboard box, addressed to John V. Monckton at 30 Upper Cheyne Row, was found lying on the hallway floor.

Intelligence and phone analysis led police to Hanson as the other person involved in the murder.

The burn site

Police retrieved a number of items from the remains of the fire at the burn site. These included the sole of a training shoe, a partially burnt green plastic petrol container and several partially burnt garments. Blood found on some of the clothing matched that of White and Homeyra Monckton.

The sole of the trainer was "similar" to shoes referred to in a receipt found at Damien Hanson's room.

A men's jacket with the motif "Akademiks A9" was also found at the site. Isabelle Monckton saw the same motif on her mother's attacker and made a drawing of it to police.

(See the picture below.)

BP Garage, Wandsworth

Video footage from the BP garage at Swandon Way, Wandsworth, south London on 25 November 2004 shows a Ford Mondeo, R987 GTM, entering the forecourt. The car was used by White. Two black men entered the station kiosk and one of them is seen buying a green plastic petrol can similar to the one found at the burn site.

A facial mapping expert concluded that Damien Hanson was the man shown purchasing the can.

(See images below.)

White's arrest

On 14 December 2004 police arrested White at 22A Richmond Way, west London, on suspicion of the murder of John Monckton. A search of the premises was also carried out.

White was interviewed under caution in the company of his solicitor. He admitted that he and Hanson intended to enter the Moncktons' house on the night in question to commit a robbery.

On 17 December 2004 White was charged with the murder of John Monckton, the attempted murder of Homeyra Monckton, conspiracy to rob and robbery.

Hanson's arrest

Hanson was arrested on 15 December 2004 and was interviewed under caution with a solicitor present five times in the next two days. He replied no comment to all questions. He was interviewed a further six times on 5 May 2005, again answering no comment to all questions.

After his arrest, room 2 of the Hestia bail hostel, where Hanson had been staying, was searched and a number of items seized.

Hanson was charged with the same offences as White on 8 June 2005.