Hammer attacker decided Emirati sisters ‘must die’

In his closing arguments at Southwark Crown Court, prosecutor Simon Mayo QC said that the attack went 'against every civilised human instinct'.

LONDON // The man who attacked three Emirati sisters with a hammer decided “they must die”, the prosecution said yesterday.

In his closing arguments to Southwark crown court, Simon Mayo, QC, said the attack went “against every civilised human instinct”.

Philip Spence, 33, “always had a hammer with him” and used it to batter his victims at the Cumberland Hotel, near Marble Arch in central London.

Khuloud Al Najjar, 36, and her sisters Ohoud, 34, and Fatima, 31, suffered life-threatening injuries in the early hours of April 6 this year.

Spence broke into their suite, shouted “Give me f------ money”, brutally attacked the sisters, stole their possessions and left them for dead.

“The events you have heard about during this trial are almost unimaginable,” said Mr Mayo. “It goes against every civilised human instinct. The evidence leads us to the conclusion that Philip Spence decided the Al Najjar sisters must die.

“In respect of the attempted murder counts, the central issue for you to resolve is, what did he intend to achieve as he smashed those women’s skulls with a hammer?”

Spence has admitted to three char-ges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, but denies trying to murder the sisters.

Mr Mayo said there were three core facts in the case.

“Firstly, the injuries; secondly, the blood-spatter patterns; and thirdly, Mr Spence’s movements between the rooms,” he said.

“The injuries are truly chilling. In large part they speak for themselves, but there can be no doubt about the ferocity and weight of the attack.

“The blows were all aimed at the head – the area most likely to cause death if smashed with a hammer. Secondly, Spence used severe force. That is the unchallenged evidence of Dr Ashley Feagan-Earl.

“Thirdly, the sheer number of blows, at least 15 in total, and Spence used both ends of the hammer, including the claw end on Ohoud.”

Fatima suffered at least three blows, two to her skull and one to her nose.

“Please note that she had fractures to the back of the head and also injuries to the back of her torso indicating, we say, that Mr Spence continued the attack on her as she turned to avoid the onslaught and as she collapsed to the floor,” said Mr Mayo.

Khulood suffered “a minimum of six blows” including two to the skull and an “obliterated” eye socket.

Ohoud also suffered a minimum of six blows from the hammer.

“The destruction, and there simply is not other word for that, the destruction of the whole of the left side of her skull,” said Mr Mayo.

“There was brain matter spread over her face and brain matter protruding from a hole in her skull.

“Her left eye socket had been obliterated, her eyeball had been ruptured and her teeth smashed almost certainly with the claw end of that hammer.

“We know that he [Spence] is a habitual criminal who had an addiction to Class A drugs. He had no income beyond Job Seekers’ Allowance and he funded his drugs habit through offences of dishonesty.

“We also know the following things about him: he habitually carried a hammer and he was prepared to use it as a weapon if required, and he had a temper, using his own words.”

He reminded jurors that Spence had nearly flung a rolled up magazine, which was being used as a prop hammer, at him in the coutroom during a re-enactment of the attacks.

“Even in this court room with the eyes of the judge and the 12 jurors on him he only just held back from launching that prop across the court – a glimpse of his temper, but a telling one nonetheless,” he added.

Spence, of Alperton north-west London, has admits three counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and one count of aggravated burglary.

But he denies three counts of attempted murder and one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary.

Spence initially denied the savage attacks on the women, who are all from Sharjah, but confessed in the face of “overwhelming evidence”.

Co-defendant Neofitos “Thomas” Efremi, 57, also denies conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary.

Efremi, of Islington in north London, has admitted to a single charge of fraud.

He left his flat minutes after Spence”s arrival and made ten withdrawals totalling £5,000 using stolen bank cards belonging to Fatima.

A third defendant, James Moss, 33, has admitted to handling stolen goods including mobile phones, handbags and jewellery.

Moss, of Stroud Green in north London, will be sentenced later.

The trial continues.