Jersey stabbings: eyewitness account

Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that the victims of the stabbing were all of Polish origin. The suspect is also Polish, according to Polish media.

Three young children were killed in the attack, along with two women and one man. The victims are believed to be Jersey residents.

A 30-year old man is under arrest at Jersey General Hospital where he is in a serious but stable condition after undergoing surgery.

The attack has stunned the island, described by the police chief as “one of the safest places in the western world”.

Inquiries are continuing to establish a motive, but it is understood no-one else is being sought over the multiple stabbing attack, which was reported at 3pm on Sunday.

Jersey’s Chief Minister, Senator Terry Le Sueur, said the community was “deeply saddened and shocked”.

“Jersey is a very safe place and events of this terrible nature are very rare. This has greatly shocked the island’s community. Many will need support and counselling in the days ahead and we will ensure this is provided,” he said.

Channel 4 News reporter Carl Dinnen spoke to an eyewitness:
"Bryan Ogesa saw it happen. Visibly shaken, he told me how he, his two brothers and a friend heard screaming outside their flat and ran out to see a woman lying on the ground. A short distance away a man was chasing another woman. The man had a knife.
Bryan and his friends tried to protect the woman but by then the man with the knife had turned it on himself.
The group of friends tried to administer first aid to the women. The police arrived soon after – the scene of the killings is just a short walk from police headquarters in St Helier – and forced their way into the building.
It somehow seems particularly shocking that this should happen in Jersey where there hasn’t been a murder for seven years. Today the police chief called it the safest place in the western world. But the truth is that this kind of terrible family tragedy could happen almost anywhere, and anywhere would be shocked and appalled by it."

Shaken by multiple deaths

Detective Superintendent Stewart Gull, leading the inquiry for States of Jersey Police, said: “It goes without saying that when you are dealing with multiple deaths, of men and women and, in particular young children, you would be inhuman not to be shaken yourself.”

Speaking at a news conference yesterday, he added: “Jersey is an incredibly safe island, probably one of the safest places in the western world and incidents of this nature are an extremely rare occurrence, particularly in Jersey and across the UK.”

It goes without saying that when you are dealing with multiple deaths, you would be inhuman not to be shaken yourself. Detective Superintendent Stewart Gull

Mr Gull, who led the Ipswich serial murders inquiry in 2006, said it was a “challenging and quite complex” case for emergency teams to deal with but praised their response. A major incident room has been established at the police headquarters in St Helier.

The attack also stretched the local hospital. Its emergency department was closed for more than two hours due to the volume of victims being admitted, and staff were called in on days off to help stretched colleagues.

Detective Superintendent Gull appealed for any witnesses to come forward.

He said: “We are appealing to anyone who may have any information to contact us. We are mindful, too, of the impact of any such serious and tragic incident on the local community, and we have police officers in the area to support the investigation and local people.”