The son of a bagel tycoon has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his mother and sister at their family home in north London. Joshua Cohen, 29, admitted killing Louise Cohen, 64, and Hannah Cohen, 33, by diminished responsibility at the Old Bailey.
Cohen was initially sent to Broadmoor hospital in 2018 after being found mentally unfit to enter pleas to murder. Following improvement in his mental health, he was returned to court where he denied murder but entered guilty pleas to manslaughter. The Crown accepted the pleas based on psychiatric reports.
Cohen had worked at the family-owned Beigel Bake bakery in Brick Lane but left after issues with customers. He lived in an annex in the garden of the six-bedroom house in Golders Green and was only allowed into the main house if accompanied by a brother.
On the evening of 11 August 2017, Cohen attacked his widowed mother and sister in the basement laundry room after his mother let him inside. Louise Cohen suffered 13 stab wounds, and Hannah Cohen was stabbed in the neck, severing the carotid artery. Cohen was arrested the following day after being seen in the street by police.
