During a horrifying incident, a man armed with a knife unlawfully entered the residence of a young mother and fatally stabbed her while she was sleeping alongside her husband and their three-month-old infant, a court has been informed.
The accused, Daniel Sean James, aged 46, reportedly carried out the attack on 24-year-old Kirandeep Kaur in her home in Hayes, situated in west London, on the morning of July 12.
Following the incident, James purportedly leaped out of a window, resulting in injuries to both his ankles, before being apprehended by law enforcement officers in close proximity to the scene, as per the proceedings at the Old Bailey.
Prior to the assault, James allegedly traversed a playing field in Hayes while clad entirely in black attire and carrying a large knife.
It is claimed that he was captured on surveillance footage and doorbell cameras as he approached three different residences before sneaking up on a man in his twenties on the street and stabbing him in the back.
Shortly thereafter, at around 7:51 a.m., he allegedly forcefully entered the residence of Mrs. Kaur, where she was asleep with her husband and infant, by kicking at the door.
Upon hearing a scream from his wife, the husband woke up and witnessed a figure leaving the bedroom, as stated by prosecutor Charlene Sumnall.
Shortly after, James exited the property through a window in the kitchen-living room area, as disclosed during the court proceedings.
Despite sustaining injuries to both ankles, he allegedly attempted to flee but collapsed after a brief distance.
From the moment the defendant was first spotted to the police arriving at the scene, approximately 24 minutes had elapsed, according to the court testimonies.
Tragically, Mrs. Kaur suffered a fatal stab wound to the chest and was pronounced deceased at 8:26 a.m.
The court heard that both victims were unknown to the accused, who received medical treatment before being taken into custody.
Subsequently, he was charged with the murder of Mrs. Kaur, attempted murder, and possession of a bladed weapon.
Appearing in Court One of the Old Bailey via videolink from Wormwood Scrubs on Thursday, James, residing at Mercer Place in Pinner, west London, had a plea hearing scheduled for October 1 and a tentative three-week trial starting from April 5 next year, set by Judge Nigel Lickley KC.
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