She Allegedly Made a Chilling Google Search — Then Fatally Stabbed Her Kids, Asked for Death Penalty

A British mother is accused of fatally stabbing her two children before driving to a car wash to stab her husband, reportedly motivated by a fear of losing custody, a court heard.

Veronique John, 50, faces charges for the killing of her son, Ethan John, 11, who was stabbed more than 20 times, and for causing fatal brain injuries to her 7-year-old daughter, Elizabeth John.

The tragic deaths occurred in June 2023. Prosecutors described the violence as an outburst driven by her fear that the children would be taken away by their father, Nathan John, who survived the attack, according to the BBC.

During the trial-of-facts hearing at Nottingham Crown Court, the jury learned that Veronique John committed the stabbings at her home. She then left wearing a dressing gown and drove to a nearby car wash where she stabbed her husband in the stomach. Afterwards, she returned home and called emergency services.

John faces two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, and an alternative count of wounding. However, she has been found unfit to plead and is undergoing a trial of facts, the BBC reports.

The court heard that John had shown increasing signs of distress in the days leading up to the incident. Prosecutor Peter Grieves-Smith told jurors, “what happened on the 11th of June didn’t come out of the blue,” noting that “tension grew” in the days prior.

John, originally from the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, reportedly conducted a chilling internet search just hours before the attacks, asking: “Can a foreigner be charged with murder in the UK?”

“That day, she just erupted, killed her children and attacked Nathan,” Grieves-Smith said, per BBC.

After her arrest, John allegedly told police, “It’s something I was thinking about for a long time – just kill myself and the kids. Unless you guys are offering me the death penalty I have nothing else to say.”

According to the BBC, she also reportedly said, “I did it because I love my children – to protect the children,” and added, “if there’s any possible way I could be put to death, I would like that.”

Police said that when they arrived at her home, John told officers: “If you have a gun, shoot me. I am not a monster – he was going to take them from me.”

John is currently being held in a secure hospital and was not present in court for the prosecution’s opening remarks, the BBC reports.

Before the trial began, Judge Mr. Justice Choudhury informed the jury that their role was to determine whether John committed the acts she is charged with. He acknowledged the emotional difficulty of the case and urged the jurors to remain objective.

Prosecutors revealed that the couple’s relationship had been troubled for some time. One reported source of tension, according to the BBC, was John’s opposition to her husband having an internet-enabled phone.

The trial is expected to continue for six days.