Court

Stabber Called Victim a 'Saint' and Described Himself as a 'Dangerous Man', Murder Trial Hears
Fri 9th Dec 2016, Yellow Advertiser

THE MAN who claims he stabbed Basildon chef Daniel Mitchell-Monroe to death in ‘self-defence’ originally told police his victim was a ‘saint’, a court has heard.

Prosecutor Andrew Jackson told a murder trial jury in Chelmsford this morning that defendant Joram Bakumanya had initially told police he wanted to plead guilty.

Mr Bakumanya, 22, is charged with the alleged murder of Daniel Mitchell-Monroe, 37, from Vange.

He admits stabbing Mr Mitchell-Monroe to death but claims he did so in self-defence.

The prosecution contends that Mr Mitchell-Monroe was killed as he tried to defend his 22-year-old niece from Mr Bakumanya, who was threatening to attack her because she would not give him her phone number.

Mr Jackson told jurors this morning that Mr Bakumanya initially expressed a desire to plead guilty to murder.

He said that after being apprehended over the June 28 killing, Mr Bakumanya told police he felt ‘really low, because I stabbed someone for no reason’.

The prosecutor said Mr Bakumanya had told investigators that Mr Mitchell-Monroe was ‘a nice guy’.

He said the defendant had told police, "I’m losing my mind... I should be locked up in a mental institution."

Judge Patricia Lynch said in open court this afternoon that a psychiatric report had found Mr Bakumanya did not suffer from any mental illness, but that the defendant disagreed with the conclusion and claimed the doctor had ignored the fact that he suffers from panic attacks.

Mr Jackson told the court of Mr Bakumanya’s discussions with police: "Later on, he said he didn’t want to be in a police station, he wanted to be put before a judge so he could plead guilty."

The prosecutor said Mr Bakumanya told police he had been ‘smoking cannabis before the killing’.

He continued: "On that day, June 28, he had armed himself with a knife because, as he put it, people were after him in Basildon.

"He said that he had been rude to Miss Lewis and he said Mr Mitchell-Monroe had been there to protect her.

"He admitted that he had stabbed Mr Mitchell-Monroe. He told the police that he had made a rash decision. He said that he had not intended to kill.

"He said that Mr Mitchell-Monroe had been a funny and nice guy. He said that he had been in the zone of a fight.

"He went on to say that Mr Mitchell-Monroe was a saint and did not deserve what had happened to him."

Mr Jackson also told the court that Mr Bakumanya had warned Mr Mitchell-Monroe’s niece minutes before the stabbing that he was a ‘dangerous man’.

He told jurors Mr Bakumanya had pursued the young woman, Armani Lewis, through the town centre, shouting threats at her when she did not respond to his request for her phone number.

He said Mr Bakumanya had thrown a sausage roll at a wall when she did not hand over the number, and told her: "I’m a dangerous man. Do not smile when you see me."

Miss Lewis told police she knew Mr Bakumanya from around town by the nickname JB, but only because he had hung around with some mutual friends.

In a statement read to the court this morning, she said: "He comes across a bit crazy and talks about stabbing and killing someone."

In another statement read to jurors this morning, eyewitness Dana Louise Walker, a retail worker, told police she heard Mr Bakumanya shout at Miss Lewis: "You need to start respecting me or I will knock you out and teach you a lesson."

Another witness told police she heard Mr Bakumanya shout: "I’ve hurt women before and I will hurt you now."

The prosecution contends Mr Bakumanya was about to slap Miss Lewis when Mr Mitchell-Monroe stepped in and punched him, in response to which Mr Bakumanya launched the lethal attack.

Mr Bakumanya has declined to cross-examine any prosecution witnesses but is expected to speak in his own defence next week, said Judge Lynch.

Back to Joram Bakumanya Murder Trial

Back to Court

Back to Portfolio