Father Richard Jones killed son’s girlfriend, Sophie Evans, in “cowardly act triggered by anger and temper”

A mum-of-two was killed by her partner's father - who believed she was part of a plot to scam him out of inheriting his mother's house. Richard Jones was found guilty of the "senseless and cowardly" murder of Sophie Evans in Llanelli, South Wales.

The court heard how 50-year-old Jones falsely believed Sophie - the partner of his son, Jamie Davies, was "scamming" him out of the deeds for his mother's house.

On July 5 last year, Jones - who regularly carried out odd jobs at his son's home - attended the house, in Bigyn Road, to 'look at drains'. However, when 30-year-old Sophie returned after dropping her two children off at school, he admitted he "lost his head" and attacked her. Sophie's body was later found lying face down and naked on the kitchen floor of the house.

Jones, of Burry Port, Carmarthenshire, admitted manslaughter with diminished responsibility but denied murder. However, after a trial at Swansea Crown Court, on Thursday (January 30) a jury took less than three hours to find him guilty of murder.

After the attack in July, Jones fled the house. The court was told messages to his former partner, Tracey Thompson, that day showed he called his son and Sophie "scamming thieves" and that he had "taken care of the problem".

After he was arrested, Jones told a psychiatrist he believed he had been "tricked" out of the deeds for his mother's house by his son and his partner. He also told police his "head went" over the "scam" and that remembered going to the house but did not remember anything about the attack.

At around 8pm that day, Jones was found by police near the entrance to Pembrey Country Park and arrested on suspicion of murder.

Defending, David Elias said Jones' thoughts about being scammed were "falsely held beliefs" caused by a delusional disorder. And consultant psychiatrist, Dr Dilum Jayawickrama, said Jones was "100% certain in his beliefs". "There is not a single shred of evidence to say that was true," said Mr Elias.

Mike Jones, prosecuting, said Jones showed "callous indifference" to the attack on Sophie and had "lost his temper” and strangled her. Jones will be sentenced on March 3, with Judge Geraint Walters telling the court the only sentence he could pass was life imprisonment.

Following the hearing, Det Supt Gareth Roberts, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said: "Richard Jones has been found guilty of what was a senseless, cowardly act triggered by anger and temper. Sophie was within her own home and not in a position to defend herself from Richard Jones's cruel act of violence."The family will take some comfort that he's now removed from society and cannot harm any others."