A 19-year-old man who murdered his mother and two younger siblings as part of a failed plot to kill 30 children at a primary school has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 49 years. Nicholas Prosper admitted killing Juliana Falcon, 48, Kyle Prosper, 16, and Giselle Prosper, 13, at their home in Luton last month.
The murders were part of a wider plan to storm a morning assembly at St Joseph’s Catholic primary school, where he and his siblings were pupils, with a shotgun. Prosper intended to become the worst mass murderer in British history, but the plot was thwarted when his mother confronted him after discovering he had a gun. A violent struggle ensued, resulting in the deaths of all three family members.
Sentencing Prosper at Luton Crown Court, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb described him as “truly evil” and said his ambition was notoriety. “You intended to unleash disaster on the community of Luton. Your plans were intelligent, calculating and selfish,” she told him. The judge paid tribute to the victims, saying their deaths “almost certainly saved the lives of many children”.
Raymond Prosper, the father of Nicholas, Kyle and Giselle, said in a statement: “We now see the deaths of Juliana, my son Kyle and daughter Giselle had much more meaning and importance. Their deaths and the fast response of Bedfordshire police stopped any other family in the community going through the pain we have suffered.” He described Juliana as “loving”, Kyle as “kind and funny” and Giselle as “exceptional”.
Detective Chief Inspector Sam Khanna of Bedfordshire Police said he had never encountered anyone capable of such horrific acts in his entire career. “I’ve been utterly shocked and appalled by the actions and plans of the offender in this case, and I’m pleased that this truly evil individual will serve a significant proportion of his life behind bars,” he said.
The court heard that Prosper had planned the murders for months, surveilling the school and buying a shotgun online for £650 using a forged certificate. He chose the date of 13 September deliberately. After killing his family, he fled with the shotgun and 33 cartridges but was arrested after hiding for two hours. He also admitted possession of a shotgun without a certificate, possession of a shotgun with intent to endanger life, and possession of a knife in a public place.
