Prosecutors allege the stranger entered the Hayes residence and attacked Kirandeep Kaur as her husband and baby slept beside her.
LONDON — A man has been charged with murder after prosecutors said he entered a west London home and fatally stabbed a 24-year-old mother as she slept beside her husband and their 3-month-old baby.
Daniel Sean James, 46, is accused of killing Kirandeep Kaur at her home on Uxbridge Road in Hayes on the morning of July 12. He also faces charges of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article in connection with an earlier attack on another man. James appeared Thursday at London’s Central Criminal Court, commonly known as the Old Bailey.
Prosecutors said James did not know Kaur or the other man he is accused of attacking. Authorities have not identified a confirmed motive, and police said they are keeping an open mind while examining the circumstances. Kaur’s relatives have raised concerns that the killing may have been motivated by hatred, but investigators said they had found no evidence at that stage establishing the attack as a hate crime.
Police were called to the property at about 7:55 a.m. after receiving reports of a stabbing. Officers and London Ambulance Service crews found Kaur with stab injuries inside the residence. Emergency workers attempted to save her, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. Her baby was not reported injured.
A man in his 20s was found wounded outside the property and taken to a hospital. Police said his injuries were not considered life-threatening. Prosecutors allege James attacked that man in the street shortly before entering Kaur’s home.
During Thursday’s court hearing, prosecutors said surveillance and doorbell cameras recorded a person dressed in black and carrying a knife as he approached several homes in the area. The attacker allegedly came up behind the male victim and stabbed him before moving toward the Kaur residence.
Prosecutors said James forced his way through the home’s front door at about 7:51 a.m. while Kaur, her husband and their baby were sleeping in a bedroom. Kaur’s husband awoke after hearing her scream and saw a person leaving the room, according to the account presented in court.
The assailant then escaped through a window, prosecutors said. James allegedly suffered two broken ankles after jumping from the residence and was detained nearby. Police said he was taken to a hospital for treatment before being transferred into custody.
Authorities initially described James as 44 when announcing the charges, while reports from his Old Bailey appearance identified him as 46. He was listed as a resident of Mercer Place in Pinner. Officials have not publicly explained the age discrepancy.
Kaur was originally from Punjab, India, and had moved to Britain about two years before her death, according to reporting based on statements from her relatives. Family members said she first arrived on a student visa and later received permission to work in the country. They described her as a devoted new mother and sought assistance returning her remains to India.
James has not entered a plea to the charges. The allegations against him have not been proven, and he is entitled to the presumption of innocence. His plea hearing was scheduled for Oct. 1 as the police investigation continued.