Heir to multi-million-pound bagel empire held after mum and sister stabbed to death
KNIVES and a drugs kit were removed last night from the house where the heir of a millionaire bagel tycoon allegedly stabbed his mother and sister to death.
Joshua Cohen, 27, was found wandering in a north London park 15 hours after the discovery of the bodies of his disabled mother, Leah, 66, and sister Hannah, 33, at the family’s £1.5million home in nearby Golders Green.
The mother of five and her daughter died in what police have described as a ‘devastating attack’ at 8.40pm on Friday.
Last night, as it emerged that Cohen had been cut out of the family fortune weeks ago, Miss Cohen’s sister-in-law paid tribute to her, saying she was ‘loving and generous’ and would have celebrated her 34th birthday on Wednesday.
Deborah Cohen, who is married to Hannah’s older brother Daniel, 34, ran a cakemaking business, Coco Cakes, with Hannah for the last five years.
She said: ‘She was a loving aunt to her niece and four nephews and the older ones loved nothing more than baking with her. She was absolutely selfless and did every-
‘Loving aunt to her niece and nephews’
thing for everyone else. She was the greatest cook. We went over there every Sunday to eat together as a family and she made the most amazing food.’
She also paid tribute to her mother-in-law Leah, adding: ‘She was loving and generous and a wonderful mother.’
Neighbours claimed the suspect had a history of using drugs and had serious mental health issues.
The former barista has previously posted photographs and videos on his Facebook page showing drugs paraphernalia and was said to smoke large amounts of cannabis.
Police launched a manhunt following the double killing and found him 15 hours later after he was spotted by a member of the public. Officers had warned he should not be approached because he suffers from paranoid schizophrenia.
Last night he was still in custody being quizzed by detectives following his arrest at 2pm on Saturday.
Peter Gonella, 68, who lives next door, said: ‘I’ve known them for a long time – about 30 years. The father died a few years back. I’ve known the kids since they were born. Josh, who was one of the five, was always a bit different to the others. He used to scratch cars for no reason. Eventually he went under the
Smoking: Joshua Cohen in a picture he posted online Inset: Hannah Cohen Mental Health Act. There drugs. It was only ever grass.’ the family’s bagel fortune just were always people coming A family friend said: ‘As far two weeks ago, it emerged here from social services. The as I am aware, he has had last night. brothers tried to look after mental health problems for His two older brothers, him and they did the best years. He is a very confused Nathan, 30, and Daniel, were they can. young man. His father, who named as directors of the
‘The dad was at work all day was one of the owners of a company, according to the long. He had a bagel factory famous Jewish bagel shop in Daily Telegraph. in Brick Lane and worked all London, had heart problems Joshua’s late father, Asher the hours under the sun. He and died fairly recently. His Cohen, co-founded Beigel [Joshua] used to do his little family were Jewish, and Bake, which opened on Brick bit of drugs, like cannabis. quite religious, but I don’t Lane in 1979.
‘He’d lived there on and off think he is.’ The business, a favourite of recently. They converted the Shira Ryde, 21, who lives in the late director and restaubuilding at the back into a a flat next door, said: ‘He had rant critic Michael Winner, is flat for him. The back ended severe mental problems.’ one of the East End’s best up being raided by police for Cohen had been cut out of known bakeries.