Man Jailed for Life for Murdering Son's Girlfriend in Brutal Attack

Image credits: Dyfed-Powys Police

A man has been jailed for life for the murder of his son's partner after falsely believing she had scammed him. Richard Jones, 50, from Burry Port, Carmarthenshire, was found guilty of murder at Swansea Crown Court in January. He was sentenced to life in prison and must serve a minimum of 20 years. The court heard that Jones believed Sophie Evans was "scamming" him out of the deeds for his mother's house, leading him to visit her home, kill her, and leave the house. The evidence presented to the jury demonstrated that Richard Jones bore full responsibility for his callous actions.

Doorbell footage showed Richard Jones leaving moments after the murder. At the trial, the jury saw an exchange between Jones and his former partner, Tracey Thompson, in which he called his son, Jamie Davies, and Ms Evans "scamming thieves" and said he had "taken care of the problem". Consultant psychiatrist Dr Dilum Jayawickrama, who interviewed the defendant, said Jones was "100% certain in his beliefs" he had been scammed. The court heard Jones told officers he had been taken to a solicitor's office by Ms Evans to sign forms, leading him to believe he had signed over the deeds to his mother's house.

David Elias, defending Jones, said his client's thoughts about being scammed were "falsely held beliefs" caused by a delusional disorder. Mike Jones, prosecuting, said Jones "was not experiencing significant emotional distress" at the time of the murder and showed "callous indifference" to what he did to his victim. Mr Jones also told the jury the defendant had "by his own admission, a historic short fuse", and on the day of the incident "had lost his temper, attacked Sophie and strangled her, causing her death". During Monday's hearing, Kerry Quinlan, Ms Evans' sister, read a victim statement on behalf of the family and said her death had "changed our family forever".

The list of key events in the case includes: * July 5, 2024: Sophie Evans' body was found lying face down and naked on the kitchen floor of a house in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire. * January 2025: Richard Jones was found guilty of murder at Swansea Crown Court. * March 3, 2025: Jones was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 20 years. * The court heard that Jones believed he was being defrauded by Ms Evans and his son, and that he had begun harbouring thoughts that they were financially scamming him in the days leading up to the attack. Judge Geraint Walters previously said the only sentence the courts could pass was life imprisonment, describing it as a "frenzied attack on a woman in a towel in her own home". The violent nature of the attack was highlighted by the fact that Ms Evans sustained 72 separate injuries on the outside of her body.

In a personal statement, Jamie Davies, Ms Evans' partner, described her as "the most beautiful person I could ask for". He said that Jones had "taken everything from us, all in the most despicable way possible". The court was told in evidence that at the time of the attack, Ms Evans was wearing only a bath towel. The case has been described as a "senseless and cruel act" by the victim's family, who have been left to pick up the pieces after the tragic event. The police have also commented on the case, saying that Sophie's death was "completely avoidable, a result of senseless violence triggered when Richard Jones lost his temper".