Man who murdered family was sentenced to at least 46 years in prison

A man who murdered his girlfriend and three of her family members in south London has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 46 years.

Joshua Jacks, 29, was killed in Bermondsey in April 2022 by Samantha Drummonds, 27, his mother Tanisha Ofori Akufo, 45, and his grandmother Dorette Hill, 64. Her husband, Denton Burke, 68, was killed.

The scene where they were discovered was described by police as “like something out of a horror movie.”

As the jack was lowered, cries of “cold-blooded murderer” rang out.

Addressing Jack on the quayside of the Old Bailey during sentencing, Judge Brian said the defendant’s crimes had been caused in part by an increased daily intake of skunk cannabis, and that he was “well aware of the effects on his mental health”. “

The judge told Jack it was “a horrific catalog of murders that you inflicted on three generations of the same family in the cruellest of circumstances”.

“This is a useful lesson for those who promote the myth that cannabis is not a dangerous drug,” Judge Brian told Jack, who appeared emotionless.

He added that the defendant killed his girlfriend and three of her family members “for no apparent reason” at their Delaford Road home.

The judge said the jury heard Jack had doubled his intake of skunk cannabis in the days before the murder.

The judge said Jack had gotten into an argument with his girlfriend Samantha, which was likely the trigger for the subsequent murder.

Judge Bryan said: “You and you alone are responsible for such altercations and for what happened during your drug-induced psychosis.”

The judge paid tribute to the victims’ families for their dignified demeanor during the trial, adding: “No sentence will ever be sufficient to reflect their loss.”

Jack, from Lewisham, was found guilty of murdering all four people in December. He denied murder but admitted manslaughter.

With additional reporting from PA Media.