Updated 25 March, 12.05pm
A MAN WHO murdered his ex-wife and tried to kill his partner in a violent rampage has been jailed for 29 years.
In court on Monday, Desmond Brooks admitted to the atrocious attacks which were carried out in front of his children.
He was sentenced yesterday to 29 years for the murder of Keisha McKenzie, 19 years for the attempted murder of Joan Wade and 12 years for grievous bodily harm with intent against Saffron Yeboah-Simpson. All sentences will run concurrently.
On 29 July 2013, Brooks stabbed his 46-year-old partner Joan Wade at around 6.41 pm while their three-year-old son was at the scene.
She told police on their arrival to her home that it was her “baby father” who had assaulted her.
According to Met Police, Brooks had “gone to the flat they shared and in an entirely unprovoked attack, inflicted severe injuries on Joan. Several knives were recovered from the scene”.
Joan received several cuts to the back of her head, one of which penetrated through her neck into her mouth. Her jaw was broken and the bones in her hands had been crushed with several of her fingers severed.
She was taken to hospital in a critical condition but made a recovery following reconstructive surgery.
On the same day, just 20 minutes after the attack on Wade, two other women were attacked, including 28-year-old Keisha McKenzie, Brooks’ ex-wife.
She was pronounced dead at the scene at 7.31pm from multiple stab wounds.
Police found her body inside the hallway. She had very severe stab wounds and her teeth had been smashed.
Brooks had a seven-year-old son with Keisha who witnessed the attack on his mother.
Keisha’s 17-year-old sister was also taken to a south London hospital suffering from stab wounds, having tried to intervene.
A manhunt, involving local and specialist officers, was launched soon after the second incident and Brooks arrested on suspicion of murder on the same day.
Enquiries revealed Brooks had posted BlackBerry messages stating he had attacked two people and was going to attack two more and then “have a party”.
Just after midnight, he boarded a bus around Streatham Common North. He said to the driver:
The first police you see, could you flag them down. It’s me they’re looking for.
When the driver asked him to explain, Brooks admitted he had just murdered his wife. The driver flagged down the first police vehicle he saw and Brooks were arrested on the bus at Leigham Court Road, SW16.
He told officers he had killed his wife and hurt his baby mother. He said:
I couldn’t take it anymore both nagging me everyday, disrespecting me in front of others, couldn’t take it anymore man, couldn’t take it anymore.
“Brooks went on a lengthy and extremely violent rampage, intent on harming the women in his life,” said Investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Will Reynolds following the sentencing.
“Keisha’s injuries were so severe she never stood a change while Joan is still recovering from her horrendous ordeal. Brooks used a variety of knives and the fact that his actions were witnessed by his own young children did nothing to rein him in.
“His excuse was that he could no longer face the perceived ‘disrespect’ shown to him by these women. I am pleased he at least admitted his crimes and will now serve a lengthy sentence behind bars.”
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