Christopher Monks Jr.

Christopher Monks Jr. was born in the United Kingdom and was adopted as a child by Christopher and Kathryn Monks.

Little verified information has been publicly released regarding his upbringing beyond court proceedings. During the trial, evidence was presented that Monks had been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome (now recognised as part of autism spectrum disorder), although prosecutors argued he remained fully aware of his actions.

Prior to the offence, he had no history of serious violent crime.

In 2009, Monks devised a plan to kill his adoptive parents following growing tensions within the family.

Using the internet, he befriended Shaun Skarnes, a young man from Norfolk, and persuaded him to travel to the Monks family home in Kent to carry out the murders. The plan was for Skarnes to enter the house during the night and kill Christopher and Kathryn Monks while they slept.

During the early hours of the planned attack, Christopher Monks Sr. awoke to find Skarnes standing over him armed with a kitchen knife. A struggle followed, during which he managed to disarm the intruder before police arrived.

Neither parent suffered fatal injuries, and the murder plot was unsuccessful.

Investigators determined that Monks planned the conspiracy over the internet, communicating extensively with Shaun Skarnes before arranging the attack.

Skarnes travelled to Kent and entered the family home armed with a kitchen knife during the night. Prosecutors alleged that Monks had orchestrated the plan and intended for both of his adoptive parents to be murdered.

The case relied heavily on digital communications, witness testimony, and evidence demonstrating the planning that had taken place before the attempted attack.

Following the failed attack, police were called to the Monks family home and arrested Shaun Skarnes.

As detectives examined communications between the two men, they concluded that Christopher Monks Jr. had recruited and directed Skarnes to carry out the murders.

Both men were subsequently charged with conspiracy to murder.

Christopher Monks Jr. stood trial alongside Shaun Skarnes at Maidstone Crown Court.

The prosecution presented evidence of online communications, planning, and the attempted attack inside the family home. The jury found both men guilty of conspiracy to murder.

Monks was made subject to an indefinite hospital order under the Mental Health Act. Shaun Skarnes received an indeterminate prison sentence with a minimum tariff before becoming eligible for parole.

The case attracted significant media attention because Christopher and Kathryn Monks publicly continued to support their adopted son despite being the intended victims of the conspiracy.

During the trial, the defence argued that Monks' autism spectrum disorder affected his judgement and understanding of reality. The prosecution maintained that the planning demonstrated he understood the consequences of the conspiracy, and the jury ultimately agreed.

The case has since been cited in discussions surrounding online grooming, criminal responsibility, and the role of mental health evidence in serious criminal proceedings.