A little more than three years ago, two friends were brutally murdered at a house in Canterbury.

Mum-of-three Natasha Sadler-Ellis, 40, and Simon Gorecki, 48, were stabbed to death in a fit of rage by violent mechanic Foster Christian.

The shocking attack was carried out at a house in Dickens Avenue on March 29, 2016.

Christian, who was 54 at the time and lived at the property, launched a shocking knife attack after a row over hot water with Simon, who was his housemate.

He also seriously injured Natasha’s son Connaugh Harris, then 20, and a 16-year-old boy during the terrifying rampage.

These were the family's heartbreaking last words after he was jailed.

What happened on the fateful evening of Tuesday, March 29, 2016?

Natasha Sadler-Ellis and Simon Gorecki were stabbed to death in March 2016

A three-week trial at Maidstone Crown Court in October 2016 heard how Simon, a fishmonger at the Goods Shed in Canterbury, had been taking a shower at around 7pm when the incident started.

Christian turned on a tap in the kitchen causing the temperature of the shower water to change, so Simon shouted out at him and Christian responded by saying “f*** off you mug” before the argument descended into mayhem.

Natasha, who grew up in Margate, was on the phone to her son Connaugh at the time, who overheard the abuse and decided to come to the house with the 16-year-old boy.

When they arrived, Christian was upstairs in his room, while Natasha and Simon were downstairs.

Christian then continued to shout further abuse, so Natasha went to his room followed by Connor, Simon and the teenage boy.

Upon entering, Christian struck Connaugh and the 16-year-old punched Christian in the left cheek.

That is when Christian’s frenzied attack started as he grabbed a kitchen knife and began retaliating.

The injuries sustained by Simon Gorecki
The injuries Simon Gorecki suffered

He thrusted a knife into Simon, who was 5ft 6ins tall, stabbing him five times, with four wounds inflicted on his back.

Natasha, who was the same height, suffered several stab wounds, including one which pierced her heart and another the penetrated her left eyebrow and followed down to her lower jaw.

Connaugh was taken to William Harvey Hospital in Ashford with two wounds to his right arm and a small wound to his thumb.

The 16-year-old was also taken to William Harvey with slashes to his abdomen, right forearm and thigh.

Natasha and Simon suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene – Natasha of a stab wound to the heart and Simon of a penetrated right lung.

The injuries Natasha Sadler-Ellis suffered
The injuries Natasha Sadler-Ellis suffered


Foster Christian’s 999 call

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After Christian had slaughtered Simon and Natasha to death and seriously injured her son, as well as another young boy, he then called the police.

During that call, he told the operator that he was the one that had been attacked with “beer cans and bottles” and that he just “grabbed a knife”.

On the call he said: “I just started laying into them and they was still doing it. They was just beating me and beating me and beating me.”

He admitted using the knife while on the phone.

The scene outside the house in Dickens Avenue, Canterbury where Foster Christian killed two friends

When officers arrived at 7.40pm, they found the injured teenager lying at the top of the driveway where Connaugh had given him first aid.

Simon was dead on the kitchen floor, while Natasha’s lifeless body was found at the bottom of the stairs near the front door.

Foster Christian jailed for 30 years

Foster Christian has been jailed for life
Foster Christian was jailed for life after killing Natasha Sadler-Ellis and Simon Gorecki

Foster Christian, who has 30 previous convictions, was found guilty of the double murder following trial on October 26, 2016 and was jailed for 30 years.

He was also sentenced to 12 years for wounding the 16-year-old with intent and 18 months for unlawfully wounding Connaugh, with those sentences running concurrently.

Judge Justice Stuart-Smith said at the time: “I accept there were tensions in the house. They were made worse when other residents had been drinking and became argumentative.

"Those tensions may explain why, when you made his shower go cold, Mr Gorecki swore at you and you swore back at him, instead of both of you reacting more calmly.

"Drink may have explained why Ms Sadler-Ellis got involved in the argument. But nothing – nothing at all – begins to justify what you did later.

"What you did was way over the top. It was literally a murderous attack on not just Mr Gorecki, who had a cider can but not a knife, and on Ms Sadler-Ellis, who was also unarmed.

"What you did went way beyond any possible bounds of reasonable self-defence."

Naomi Toro was jailed for assisting Foster Christian
Naomi Toro was jailed for assisting Foster Christian

Earlier in the hearing, Christian’s accomplices Naomi Toro, 36, of Keyworth Mews, and Samantha Groombridge, 19, were also jailed after they helped to hide the murder weapon.

Toro was jailed for one year after admitting to assisting an offender, while Groombridge was jailed for 10 weeks.

When Christian was led away from the dock, he stuck his middle finger up at those in the public gallery, who cheered and clapped, while some cried out “monster”.

‘You have blown lives apart’

The knife used by Foster Christian to stab four people
The knife used by Foster Christian to stab four people

Judge Stuart-Smith added: "I don't know if you have ever stopped pitying yourself or deludedly thinking you can justify what you did for long enough to consider the impact your knife attack has had.


"You have blown apart the life of Ms Sadler-Ellis' mother. It is an outrage when a child dies before her parents, and the manner in which Mrs Ellis lost her daughter is particularly outrageous.


"You have put the family through hell on earth, and it continues.

"For Mr Gorecki's mother, the world is now a dangerous and frightening place. She cannot sleep and has continuous nightmares. His three children are traumatised.

"Although you have previously sent a message to her sons expressing regret for what happened to Ms Sadler-Ellis, I have seen no sign of remorse at all in relation to what you did to Mr Gorecki."

The outside of the house in Dickens Avenue the day after Christian's fatal attack

Christian failed in an attempt to try and appeal his sentence earlier this year, continuing to claim he acted in self-defence. 

The story was previously told in documentary programme 999: Killer On The Line in July last year.

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