Mechanic jailed for life for stabbing couple to death in row over the temperature of a shower
Foster Christian was slammed in court for the murderous attack that had 'blown apart' the family of the victims
A MAN has been jailed for life after murdering a couple over the temperature of the shower.
Mechanic Foster Christian was jailed with a minimum term of 30 years after he murdered his housemates Simon Gorecki and Natasha Sadler during a heated row.
In his closing statements, Judge Stuart-Smith labelled the crime as a "murderous attack", saying the double murderer had showed no remorse.
But as the devastated families of the victims cheered over the life sentence, Christian put up his middle finger.
Judge Stuart-Smith said he accepted that Christian had taken some steps to move out of the house due to tensions with the couple, with the tensions spilling over into physical altercations.
He said: "When you made his shower go cold, Mr Gorecki swore at you and you swore back at him.
"Drink may have explained why Mr Gorecki didn't leave the argument.
"Nothing at all begins to justify what you did later."
Christian, 54, has previously told the court he acted in self-defence when he fatally stabbed Natasha Sadler-Ellis, 40, and Simon Gorecki , 48 and seriously injured her 20-year-old son Connaugh Harris and a 16-year-old boy.
Officers were called to a property in Canterbury, Kent, in March after reports of a disturbance, Maidstone crown court heard.
In the altercation, Mr Gorecki is said to have told Christian to turn the water off, to which Christian allegedly told him: "F*** off you mug".
Christian, of Canterbury, had also called police claiming he was attacked by Mr Gorecki, Ms Sandler-Ellis and two lads.
He said they came into his room and started a row, hitting him with beer cans and bottles.
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But the judge said the man's claims were a lie, saying: "What you did was way over the top. It was literally a murderous attack.
"Your evidence that you didn't know you had the knife in your hands was untrue.
"What you did went beyond any reasonable bounds of possible self-defence.
"I don't know if you have ever stopped pitying yourself."
The judge said the man had "blown apart" the families of the victims, with the five-year-old daughter of Natasha crying every night for her mum.
The judge said: "You have put the family through hell on earth and that continues.
"I have to say I have seen no sign of remorse at all in relation to what you did to Mr Gorecki."
Christian's accomplices Naomi Toro and pal Samantha Groombridge were also sentenced after the pair helped hide the murder weapon.
Naomi Toro, who took the bloody knife from the murder scene has been jailed for a year but will only serve half her sentence before being released on licence.
Groombridge has been jailed to ten weeks and will only to serve half before being released.
When officers arrived, they found Mr Gorecki and Ms Sadler-Ellis fatally injured with multiple stab wounds. Two males had been knifed. Christian was arrested at the scene.
Detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate revealed the row had been over the temperature of a shower.
Mr Gorecki was having a wash when Christian turned on a kitchen tap, causing the shower temperature to change, and got shouted at.
The 20-year-old was on the phone to his mum when he heard the clash and headed for the house with the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
He found his mum and Christian pushing and shoving and when he tried to intervene he was hit by the defendant and they traded punches.
Christian retaliated with a knife covered by a plastic bag, fatally wounding Mr Gorecki and Ms Sadler-Ellis and seriously injuring her son and the teen.
Following a three-week trial at Maidstone crown court, Christian was found guilty today of murdering Ms Sadler-Ellis and Mr Gorecki and of wounding her son and the 16-year-old.
Naomi Toro, 36, and Samantha Groombridge, 19, both of Canterbury, previously pleaded guilty to assisting an offender.
Toro admitted disposing of the knife in the River Stour.
Detective Chief Inspector Nick Gossett said: "What started as an argument took a very serious turn with tragic consequences. Now two lives have been lost and many lives ruined.
"Although Christian never denied stabbing Ms Sadler-Ellis and Mr Gorecki it is clear from our investigation that this was not self-defence, but murder.
"I am pleased that the jury agreed and found him guilty of the two murders. Toro and Groombridge also played their part and tried to help Christian.
"I hope the families can now move on with their lives."
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