Tributes to murder victim

Four days after he was stabbed to death in his own home, the shock of John Monckton's murder is still sinking in.

Today friends paid tribute to a "thoughtful and principled" man, who despite his immense wealth shunned ostentation and devoted much of his life to helping others.

Tom Plant met him at Oxford and they stayed friends, but even Mr Plant had little idea that as a Legal & General director, Mr Monckton was responsible for assets of more than ?34billion.

Mr Plant, a city firm director, said: "I had to dig it out of him that he was in charge of billions. We used to joke about going for lunch in the City. He'd say, 'Let's go for a half-pint of cider,' and that was all he'd have, but he was extremely generous with others." The pair first met at Lincoln College in 1974. Mr Monckton was reading classics and modern languages after attending Catholic public school Downside.

Mr Plant said: "He had the highest moral standards. You could almost say he was born out of his time, extremely old-fashioned, a real gentleman, very restrained with a dry sense of humour.

"You'd never get a rude joke out of him, but if he found something funny he would let out a wicked snigger. He was a wonderfully thoughtful and principled man."

Deeply religious, Mr Monckton was a member of Catholic charity the Knights of Malta and helped out at Lourdes. "Charitable work was a huge part of his life, as was the Catholic Church. At one point it seemed he might become a priest," said Mr Plant. Mr Monckton also volunteered at Downside Fisher Youth Club in Southwark.

After Oxford he was called to the Bar - his father John had been a much-respected advocate. But he joined investment house BZW in

1979. By the time he left for Legal & General in 1996 he had become a director. Andrew Galloway, a friend from Downside and Oxford, remembered a "shy, very religious and family orientated" man devoted to his wife Homeyra, 45, and daughters Isabel, nine, and Sabrina, 12.

Police believe Mr Monckton opened his door to his killers because they asked for help. "It is ghastly when somebody as good as John is killed," said Mr Plant.