Man admits stabbing Bermondsey family of four but denies murder

A man has admitted stabbing four members of the same family to death - but denied it was murder.

Joshua Jacques, 28, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Samantha Drummonds, 27, her mother Tanysha Drummonds, 45, grandmother Dolet Hill, 64, and Ms Hill's partner Denton Burke, 68.

They were found with stab wounds on 25 April on Delaford Road in Bermondsey, south-east London.

Mr Jacques denied four charges of murder at the Old Bailey.

He admitted manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility, but the prosecution indicated that the pleas to the lesser offence would not be accepted by the Crown and the case would go to trial.

After being called by neighbours to a disturbance, police forced entry into the terraced property and found Mr Burke's body at the foot of the stairs and those of the three women in the kitchen.

They had all suffered numerous stab wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene of the home of Jamaican-born NHS worker Ms Hill and her partner Mr Burke.

Officers then discovered Mr Jacques hiding naked in the upstairs bathroom where he was Tasered during his arrest and taken into custody.

Tanysha Drummonds, who was also known as Rachquel, lived in Kennington and was previously named by police as Tanysha Ofori-Akuffo.

Her daughter, Samantha, lived in Forest Hill.

Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]