Monstrous killer jailed for slashing his baby daughter's throat and battering ex-partner to death

A monstrous killer is set to spend the rest of his life behind bars for battering his ex-partner to death and slashing his baby daughter's throat.

Roland McKoy inflicted horrific injuries on Valerie Forde with a hammer, machete and screwdriver before killing 22-month-old Real Jahzara out of "spite and resentment" at being told to leave the family home in Hackney, east London.

Jailing him for life with a minimum of 35 years, judge Charles Wide said he had not shown "one iota of regret" for what he had done.

The handyman attacked Valerie Forde as she got ready to leave for work on March 31 this year - the deadline she had set for him to move out of the three-bedroom terrace.

Afterwards, he drank bleach and left a note on Mrs Forde's face which was stained with Jahzara's blood, blaming her for what happened. It read:

During the trial, McKoy carried on blaming Valerie Forde despite the overwhelming weight of evidence against him.

He claimed that she was jealous of his close relationship with Jahzara and she killed her own child whilst in the grip of a demonic trance thinking that he was about to take her away with him.

Prosecutor Ed Brown QC said he had concocted a fictitious version of events.

After the verdict, Valerie Forde's family said: