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Samantha Groombridge's Facebook joke after Foster Christian murdered Natasha Sadler-Ellis and Simon Gorecki in Canterbury

A teenage mum who helped hide the murder weapon after two people were brutally knifed to death in Canterbury laughed about the stabbings just hours later.

At 9.46pm on the night Natasha Sadler-Ellis and Simon Gorecki were murdered, Samantha Groombridge shared a KentOnline article about the huge police presence in Dickens Avenue on her Facebook page.

When one friend commented "hope everyone's OK", Groombridge responded: "There not gunna be OK, they’ve been stabbed lol."

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Samantha Groombridge
Samantha Groombridge

Lol is a much-used acronym for laugh out loud.

Foster Christian, 54, was jailed for life at yesterday's sentencing hearing for murdering two and wounding two others, and must serve a minimum of 30 years.

VIDEO: The outcome from yesterday's sentencing hearing.

Groombridge was jailed for 10 weeks for her part in hiding the weapon, and accomplice Naomi Toro was handed a one-year sentence.

Little more than two hours before she posted the Facebook message, the court heard Groombridge, then aged 18 and pregnant with her second child, had been in a car which pulled up outside the house in Dickens Avenue.

Toro, 36, of Keyworth Mews, Canterbury was at the wheel, with her 12-year-old twins and another girl also in the car.

They were going to drive to Ashford when panicked murderer Foster Christian called Toro at 7.17pm.

Toro diverted her Vauxhall Zafira, driving fast to Dickens Avenue.

She went into the house at the same time emergency services were arriving and Mr Gorecki and Ms Sadler-Ellis lay fatally injured in the kitchen.

Naomi Toro. Picture: Kent Police.
Naomi Toro. Picture: Kent Police.

Toro went up to Christian’s room and took the knife he had used in the stabbings, saying: “It doesn’t look good down there.”

Despite the tragic scene, Toro, who has multiple sclerosis, left the building. A police officer said she was “slightly hunched over”.

There was evidence that a bag was used to carry the weapon away.

A neighbour saw she looked lost and confused and invited her in for a cup of tea. She stayed for about 10 minutes, before returning to the car.

"There not gunna be OK, they've been stabbed lol" - Samantha Groombridge

The other girl recalled Toro saying: “Foster has just stabbed four people.”

Groombridge, of Athelstan Road, Thanington, later said the knife was in a carrier bag and covered in blood. Back in the car and before going to KFC, Toro asked: “Who wants to take it?” Groombridge volunteered. Toro left her children with the other girl.

Groombridge had the knife wrapped in a coat and later stored it in her father’s safe.

Her brother saw it stained with blood. He told her to call the police, but she did not.

Groombridge called Toro and told her the knife had to be removed. At about 1am, Toro collected the knife and threw it into the River Stour at Fordwich.

She later told police and it was recovered, but all forensic evidence had been destroyed by the water.

When officers went to Toro’s home she said she had been stupid and did not know how she became involved.

Foster Christian. Picture: Kent Police.
Foster Christian. Picture: Kent Police.

She was jailed for one year, but will be released in two months having served time on remand.

Groombridge said in a basis of plea that at the time she took possession of the knife she did not know it had been used in a criminal offence.

She said she had been told there had been a stabbing when she was in Toro’s car - after Toro had been to the house but before they went to KFC.

Groombridge, whose child was born in July, added she did not contemplate the knife had been used in a murder.

Natasha Sadler and Simon Gorecki
Natasha Sadler and Simon Gorecki

She was arrested and interviewed on March 31. She said the knife was in a blue Tesco Bag for Life and it had been taken back by Toro. Defending Groombridge, Simon Taylor prompted sighs from the public gallery after asking the judge to impose a suspended sentence.

He said: “Her actions will live with her forever. She had no idea of the significance of what she was doing because of her lack of knowledge of the facts and lack of maturity.

“She pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, when she was seven months pregnant.”

Her child, who is now 14 weeks, will be looked after by her family.

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