Murder of John Monckton

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Victor Monckton (October 13, 1955-November 29, 2004) was a successful City financier who was murdered in his own house in November 2004, by Elliott White and Damien Hanson, whilst the latter was on probation serving half his 12 year sentence for attempted murder.

Educated at Downside and Lincoln College, Oxford, he went into the City and rose to the position of Managing Director of Bonds at Legal & General Group PLC, a large British insurance firm. A Roman Catholic, he joined the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in 1977.

A distant cousin of Viscount Monckton of Brenchley, he was murdered and his wife severely assaulted at their home in Upper Cheyne Row in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, nominally a low-crime area. His nine-year-old daughter called the police, but the killer(s) fled the scene. A suspect, Damien Hanson, was arrested the following day.

Hanson was eventually convicted of Monckton's murder and sentenced to serve three life sentences for killing Monckton, and the attempted murder of Monckton's wife Homeyra, in November 2004. His accomplice, Elliot White, is serving 18 years for manslaughter, wounding with intent and robbery.

The trial judge recommended that Hanson should serve a minimum of 36 years before being considered for parole. This is one of the lengthiest minimum terms ever handed out in British legal history, and is expected to keep Hanson behind bars until at least 2041 and the age of 61.

Hanson had at least one previous conviction for attempted murder, for which he received a 12-year sentence, when he killed John Monckton. Hanson had been released from jail three months before the killing, half way through his sentence.