Officer tells court how he found stabbed couple

A policeman described yesterday how he entered the Chelsea home of the financier John Monckton and his wife and discovered they had been repeatedly stabbed by robbers.

Mr Monckton died from his injuries and his wife, Homeyra, was so badly wounded her lung had collapsed and no blood pressure could be detected for several minutes.

A jury at the Old Bailey heard details of what the emergency services found at the Monckton home in Upper Cheyne Road, Chelsea, south-west London, shortly after the robbery on 29 November last year.

Elliot White, of Shepherd's Bush, west London, and Damien Hanson, of no fixed address, both 24, have denied murdering Mr Monckton, 49, a senior bonds director with Legal & General. They have also denied the attempted murder of Mrs Monckton, and wounding with intent. Mr Hanson also denies a charge of robbery, to which Mr White has pleaded guilty.

The police were called by the Moncktons' nine-year-old daughter Isobel when she saw her parents soaked in blood after the robbers left, the court heard.

Two robbers, one dressed as a postman and the other wearing a balaclava had forced their way into the house and stabbed the husband and wife. But when police arrived, they could not get into the house because Isobel had locked the door and put the chain on.

She passed the keys through the lette box to officers but could not manage to release the chain.

Pc Roger Wean tried kicking it and then managed to put his hand round and slip the chain off. He was first into the house and found Mr Monckton lying in the lounge with his feet in the hallway and Mrs Monckton at the foot of the stairs.

"He had blood on his chest and was purple. I could not feel a pulse," said the officer.

"During the course of treatment of both Mr and Mrs Monckton, both were described as being suspended. I took it to mean both had stopped breathing," added Pc Wean.

Mrs Monckton was conscious but had difficulty speaking. Her eyes were rolling. She was very pale and limp.

Mr Horwell said she was put on a ventilator and later a tube was put down her throat at the scene.

"She was given 100 per cent oxygen. An drip was put into her arm so she could receive fluids."

A heart monitor indicated a "very fast and faint heartbeat. There was no breath one side which indicated a collapsed lung.

"The emergency team arrived as she was put into an ambulance. The surgeon recommended she was taken to St Thomas' Hospital where there was a specialist cardio-thoracic unit where she would receive the best available treatment.

"She remained critically unwell, arriving there at 20.30 and receiving immediate treatment.

"She had lost so much blood that it was impossible to record a blood pressure for 10 minutes."

Richard Horwell, prosecuting, said she had two 2.5cm (1-inch) puncture stab wounds to the chest. One was in her left armpit and the other to the lower part of her back.

"She was assessed as being in a critical condition."

He added: "Paramedics found Mrs Monckton to be very pale and barely conscious. Her breathing was very shallow and irregular. Her condition deteriorated and her breathing became worse. The paramedics could hardly detect breathing. She went into respiratory arrest which can lead to cardiac arrest without intervention."

Her chest was opened and medical staff found she had suffered massive bleeding, losing about four litres (seven pints) of blood. Three lacerations were sutured, together with another in her lung where blood was escaping. The stab wound had fractured a rib.

"The rib of a woman of her age is strong structurally. The force required to fracture it must have been very high.

"The registrar described the injuries as immediately life-threatening. Her condition was critical. Her blood loss and low blood pressure caused a flash injury to her spinal cord which resulted in paralysis and sensory deprivation to her legs."

Mr Monckton could not be resuscitated, despite emergency surgery.

The trial continues.