A FORMER fiancée of Prince Charles’ godson launched a frenzied knife attack on a tourist couple because she wanted to be locked up, a court heard.
Zeaphena Badley, 35, was sleeping rough when she spotted 24-year-old Irish woman Oona McCabe and her boyfriend Kevin Cannon walking into Burger King on London Street in Paddington.
The couple were returning to the area from a night out in Soho when they decided to get stop off at the fast food outlet for an ice cream, shortly after midnight last January 17.
"She was just effectively unlucky to be there at the time when the defendant chose to make her attack," said prosecutor Tom Nicholson.
"On the face of it there was no history or reason behind the attack. Indeed, the only apparent reason was the defendant wanted to go to prison rather than live on the street."
Jurors were shown CCTV footage showing Badley slashing at the back of Ms McCabe’s right knee before walking into Burger King just behind the couple.
Mr Cannon stood between the women and took a glancing blow to the chin, Southwark Crown Court heard.
The couple had gone to Burger King on London Street near Paddington when Badley attacked Ms McCabe. (Picture: Google)Badley then appeared to launch herself at Ms McCabe and swipe three or four times at the helpless woman’s head.
She was then wrestled to the floor and held by Mr Cannon and Alfonso Moncado, who also received a cut to his finger as he tried to prise the Stanley knife blade away.
Mr Nicholson also played body-worn video footage of one of the police officers responding to the incident.
When told she was being arrested for GBH, Badley can be heard replying: "Brilliant.’
"That gives you an idea of the kind of ferocity the Crown say there was in the attack, which was entirely unprovoked," the prosecutor added.
Badley, once engaged to Eton educated Hon. Nicholas Knatchbull, titled Lord Romsey, has failed to attend court for her trial, which is being held in her absence.
"In short, the prosecution say that this defendant, a 35-year-old woman, living homeless near Paddington at the time, started an unprovoked attack with the blade of a Stanley knife on a complete stranger – a young woman who was walking past," said Mr Nicholson.
"They had never even seen each other before, they had never talked to each other."
Of the Irish couple, he added: "They had been out in Soho and come back to Paddington and they had looked to see if they could get ice cream."
At that time of night, the only place open was Burger King and the two made their way over.
As she walked in, Ms McCabe ‘immediately felt a burning sensation across the back of her right knee’, the prosecutor told jurors.
"She didn’t immediately realise, but this was in fact, we say, the defendant Zeaphena Badley using a Stanley knife-type blade to slash her in the leg almost all the way across her leg just above the back of the knee," said Mr Nicholson.
Bailey used a knife to slash Ms McCabe in the back of the knee, before hacking at her head in a completely unprovoked attack. (Picture: iStock)'She wanted to be put back in prison'
Jurors were shown graphic photos of the wound, which measured 16cm across, and protruded deep into the fatty layers of the woman’s leg.
"The female was shouting something which Ms McCabe couldn’t really understand," said Mr Nicholson.
"She was calling Ms McCabe a stupid b*tch and saying she wanted to be put in prison."
The ‘clearly mystified’ couple retreated across the shop floor towards a corner to try and get away from the knifewoman.
"But Ms Badley, wasn’t done with her attack," said the prosecutor. "We say she came for Ms McCabe again with the blade of a Stanley knife, this time visible in her right hand.
"She lunged out, grabbed Ms McCabe by the hair and struck her repeatedly on the head, cutting her with the Stanley knife blade, and shouting about wanting to be put back in jail."
Mr Cannon eventually wrestled Badley to the ground before Mr Moncado approached and stood on her hand to prevent her wielding the blade any longer.
When police finally arrived, Mr Nicholson said: "Her response essentially was 'yeah, brilliant, great'. It was almost as if she was pleased to have been arrested."
Jurors heard by that point she was ‘covered in blood’ but had no injuries of her own.
When asked what happened by officers back at the station what happened, she is said to have told them: "F**k off you pieces of s**t.
"I never get a fair trial anyway."
Badley met Lord Romsey in rehab and they announced their engagement in 2010.
The pair were engaged for 18 months and would have been in line to inherit a £100m fortune as the 9th Baroness Brabourne, but the wedding was called off in 2013.
Badley seems to have lived up to her own billing by when she previously stated: ‘I’m not like Kate Middleton, not at all’ as her actions appear anything but lady like.
After her relationship to Knatchbull, who is the godson of Prince Charles and mentored Prince William, fell apart she moved out of his 60-room Broadlands Estate in Hampshire.
Badley, formerly of Cromwell Road, Kensington, southwest London, denies grievous bodily harm with intent and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The trial at Southwark Crown Court continues.
