Wife killed husband with samurai sword, court told

Joanna Rowland-Stuart (pictured at an earlier hearing in Crawley) was ruled unfit to plead

A woman killed her husband with a samurai sword "stabbing and slicing him" more than 50 times before replacing the sword in its sheath on a stand, a court heard.

Joanna Rowland-Stuart, 71, was arrested and originally charged with murdering her husband Andrew Rowland-Stuart, 70, after he was pronounced dead at their home in Lavender Street in Brighton on 27 May 2024.

At Lewes Crown Court on Monday, the jury heard that Ms Rowland-Stuart, who has been deemed unfit to plead, told police she had acted in self defence.

Jurors heard that Ms Rowland-Stuart, who is transgender, married Mr Rowland Stuart, known as Andy, in a civil partnership in 2006.

Prosecution barrister Charlotte Newell KC said: "Whatever the cause for attacking Andrew, the sheer number and the nature of the wounds inflicted could not have been a reasonable use of force."

The barrister told the court Ms Rowland-Stuart had owned the samurai sword used in the attack for decades.

In the months before Mr Rowland-Stuart's death, his wife had also searched on the internet for Japanese swords, the court heard.

The couple, who met in 2001, lived together on the 15th floor of the tower block in Brighton.

Neighbours told police that they were a "normal couple" and that they had never heard arguing coming from their flat.

Mr Rowland-Stuart was pronounced dead at the scene in Brighton

Messages between the couple were also "generally polite and affectionate towards each other", Ms Newell said.

The jury was told that shortly after 19:20 on the day of the incident, Ms Rowland-Stuart was seen on a doorbell camera, stripped down to her pants with blood visible on her legs and stomach.

Ms Rowland-Stuart knocked on two neighbours' doors and when one was answered she shouted "help" and "Andy's dead", Ms Newell said.

She added that while on the phone to 999, Ms Rowland-Stuart said: "My husband Andrew has tried to kill me with a samurai sword and in the scuffle I managed to turn the sword towards him and he has fallen on the sword."

The court heard that when police arrived at the flat they saw blood on the walls, cabinet, sofa and in the shower.

Mr Rowland-Stuart's hands, arms and torso were cut and he had injuries to his back and the back of his head, the jury was told.

The sword, which was used to inflict all but one of the injuries, had been placed in a sheath and back on its stand, the court heard.

The remaining injury could have been cause by a letter opener, Ms Newell said.

The jury heard that Ms Rowland-Stuart, who told police she tried to push the sword out of her husband's hands, had injuries to her hands that were consistent with holding a weapon.

Ms Rowland-Stuart was ruled unfit to plead by Judge Christine Laing KC earlier on Monday, so did not take part in the trial.

The jury was told that because of this they were deciding whether or not Ms Rowland-Stuart unlawfully killed her husband.

The trial continues.