Yorkshire man killed sister with samurai sword week after son jailed for murdering boy

Roger Harriott, 56, killed Sandra Harriott in a “brutal, vicious and merciless attack” in the street outside the home she shared with their 80-year-old mother in Fartown, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

It came less than two weeks after his son, Jovani Harriott, 17, was jailed for life for the murder of Khayri McLean, 15, who was stabbed to death as he walked home from school.

Leeds Crown Court heard Harriott had a “toxic” relationship with his sister, and they had previously fallen out over the care of their mother, who had Alzheimer’s.

Three weeks before the murder Harriott had been arrested on suspicion of defrauding his mother, and told police that Ms Harriott “would not be getting her hands on their mother’s money”.

The court heard Ms Harriott, 56, had been “living in fear” of her brother since 2020, after a series of incidents in which he physically and verbally abused her, spitting in her face on one occasion, and driving aggressively at her on another.

Harriott had had “an interest in knives for some time” and used them to threaten violence, it was said.

Prosecutor David Hall said Ms Harriott carried a personal alarm as a result, and had taken out a non-molestation order in December 2022 banning Harriott from coming near her or her home.

The court heard that “with tragic prescience,” Ms Harriott wrote in her application for the order that her brother had weapons, that she “(felt) uneasy in my mum’s home knowing he could turn up at any time”, and that she “had come to realise how dangerous this man is”.

Harriott was in breach of both this order and his bail conditions following his arrest for fraud, when he drove 10 miles from Bradford to Huddersfield in the early hours of May 26 last year.

The court heard he waited outside Ms Harriott’s house on Ripon Avenue before 7am until she came outside, before getting out of his car and running towards her holding a samurai sword.

The “chilling” CCTV footage of the attack shows her attempting to run away from Harriott before he strikes her eight times with the sword, “hacking and slashing” at her after she had fallen to the floor.

Mr Hall said Ms Harriott could be seen “writhing” on the ground and kicking out to defend herself.

Harriott then moved towards his car, but turned back and stabbed his sister one last time through the chest before leaving, the court heard.

Attempts to resuscitate Ms Harriott, who had two adult sons, were unsuccessful and she was pronounced dead in hospital.

Mr Hall said the defendant drove to Huddersfield police station immediately to hand himself in, telling officers: “I’ve just murdered someone – my dad’s daughter, the weapon is in the car.”

The 55cm samurai sword was found in the vehicle, as well as some other weapons.

Gerald Hendron, representing Harriott, said he admitted he had intended to kill his sister, and that there was “animosity” between them arising out of their mother’s care.

Harriott had cared for his mother for a number of years, living with her and dealing with her finances on her behalf, Mr Hendron told the court.

He said Harriott was “adamant” that he had never “acted dishonestly towards his mother”.

The court heard the defendant was about to travel from the UK to Gambia, where he spent much of his time, when he was told he could not fly as he was to be arrested over an allegation of fraud.

The Office of the Public Guardian had raised concerns about 134 transactions from Harriott’s mother’s bank account, with withdrawals amounting to tens of thousands of pounds that “bore no relation to (her) daily needs”.

The court heard that when Harriott was interviewed about the alleged fraud he told police he had a “toxic” relationship with his sister and said repeatedly she “would not be getting her hands on (their) mother’s money”.

Mr Hendron said Harriott “does genuinely regret his actions on that day”.

Harriott pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 23 years.

Judge Robin Mairs told the defendant that Ms Harriott “had for some years considered you capable of serious violence”.

Jovani Harriott was jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years for the murder of Khayri McLean.

Leeds Crown Court heard Harriott and his cousin, Jakele Pusey, then 15, had lain in wait for Khayri, with masks and large knives, near his Huddersfield school in September 2022, and attacked him in front of a number of other horrified schoolchildren.