Murder suspect covered in blood told to 'kneel' after stabbing

Jessica Crane denies the murder of her mother Janet Mason after stabbing her in the back with a carving knife at the home of the defendant's grandmother in Green Lane, Worcester.

The 50-year-old sobbed in the dock at Worcester Crown Court on Monday as details of the stabbing on March 9 last year were described by the prosecutor Richard Atkins QC. During the opening the he held aloft the blood-stained knife which had been plunged into the 69-year-old's back by her daughter, contained in a transparent cylinder, so the jury could see it.

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Crane's grandmother, Edith Cockell, 90, was in the house when her daughter, Mrs Mason, was stabbed and futile attempts were made to revive her by police and paramedics.

An ambulance was also required for Mrs Cockell, the court heard.

SCENE: There was a heavy response from the emergency services

The knife is 30cm in length with a 25cm blade. It was shown to the jury, contained in clear, sealed plastic cylinder while photographs of the blade were displayed on a large screen.

Sgt Lee Baker, part of the Priorities Team of West Mercia Police, based at Malvern Police Station, was the first officer through the door of the house after the fatal stabbing at 74 Green Lane. Officers had received information about the incident over their radios at about 10.45am.

He said: "She (Crane) came from behind the hedge. She had her hands - both of her hands - in front of her. They were open."

The officer demonstrated from the witness box, holding his hands about a foot apart.

"They appeared to be covered in blood" he told the jury.

Sgt Baker, notified over the radio that there had been a potential stabbing, said he instructed Crane to 'come towards me and kneel down on the floor'. "I just wanted to get control of that person" he said.

He also said he wanted to check if anyone had any weapons. Crane complied, kneeling down on the pavement. When cross-examined by Crane's advocate, Rachel Brand QC, the officer confirmed that she kneeled down 'straight away'.

A colleague remained with Crane while Sgt Baker went inside the house. The firearms officer with 10 years experience, who said he had been trained to deal with gunshot wounds and other trauma, found the door of the house slightly ajar. As he entered he identified himself as a police officer and heard a female voice to his right - the victim's mother, Edith Cockell who was on the telephone.

"My attention was drawn to another female who was slumped across a chair in the lounge. She was collapsed over the arm of the chair, face down in the chair, slumped across the left hand arm of the chair with her head in the seat of the chair" he said.

Sgt Baker described her as 'completely motionless'. The officer said he asked Edith Cockell what her daughter's name was and she answered 'Janet'.

He added: "There was no response. She was covered in blood, particularly around her head. There was a lot of blood on the floor and there was a lot of blood around her mouth."

The officer took a radial pulse but found none. "There was no sign of life" he said.

By now more officers had arrived, including the Sgt Baker's former firearms colleagues.

He described Edith Cockell as being 'quite immobile' and she sat down on a bed that had been set up in the lounge.

"There is no doubt that Janet had the best of care" he said.

Edith Cockell was moved into the kitchen but the efforts of paramedics to revive her daughter were described by Mr Atkins as 'futile'.

"Yes, unfortunately so" said Sgt Baker.

While there he said switched to an evidence-gathering phase, finding a cordless telephone in a plant pot in the front garden and a dog lead hanging on the side of a bush, bringing the items to the attention of forensics officers.

The trial continues.