A MAN who murdered his sister in a "merciless" Samurai sword street attack has joined his killer son behind bars. (Video)
Roger Harriott, 56, viciously stabbed his sister Sandra, also 56, just eight days following his teenage son's public conviction for murdering a schoolboy. Jovani Harriott, 17, was sentenced to a minimum of 18 years in May 2023 for fatally stabbing Khayri McLean, 15, as he walked home from school. Now, his father faced a lifetime behind bars after ruthlessly attacking Sandra in a premeditated assault described as "brutal, vicious, and merciless."
CCTV footage captured the chilling incident in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in May last year—merely seven days after Jovani's sentencing. Witnesses saw Harriott leap from his car armed with a sword as Sandra desperately attempted to flee upon spotting him. In the midst of the road, he struck her down, relentlessly assaulting her and inflicting two stab wounds to her upper body. Harriott only departed the scene after ensuring Sandra, who suffered from Alzheimer's, had perished.
During sentencing, Judge Robin Mairs condemned Harriott's actions, stating, "Her life was ended by you in a brutal, vicious, and merciless attack outside her home." He detailed the savagery of the assault, highlighting Harriott's calculated strikes and callous disregard for his sister's life.
The court learned of the siblings' strained relationship, exacerbated by Sandra's report to the police regarding Harriott's alleged financial exploitation of their mother, whom they jointly held power of attorney over. The Office of the Public Guardian flagged 104 suspicious transactions, which Harriott failed to justify.
Harriott's rage reached a boiling point as he waited for Sandra to leave her residence before driving onto the street and confronting her at approximately 6:43 a.m. on May 26. Despite receiving immediate medical attention at the scene, Sandra succumbed to her injuries shortly after arriving at the hospital. Harriott promptly contacted the authorities and surrendered himself into police custody.
In his remarks, Judge Mairs referenced previous incidents of violence and conflict within the family, underscoring the escalating tensions leading up to Sandra's murder. Detective Superintendent Alan Weekes of West Yorkshire Police condemned the senseless act of violence, emphasizing the tragic loss experienced by Sandra's loved ones.
Jovani Harriott, along with cousin Jakele Pusey, 15, perpetrated the murder of Khayri McLean by ambushing him outside North Huddersfield Trust School in September 2022. An anonymity order for the killers was lifted on May 18 last year, allowing for their identities to be disclosed.
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