A man who attacked his son's girlfriend before strangling her to death went to a local bakery to buy a custard slice minutes later. Richard Jones admitted to killing 30-year-old mum-of-two Sophie Evans - who was found face-down in her home in Llanelli, Wales, on July last year, but denied murder. Jones said he killed Ms Evans because he believed she and her boyfriend – his son Jamie Davies – were scamming him. He was found guilty of her murder at Swansea Crown Court on Thurday, January 30.

The court heard that Ms Evans was found with multiple injuries, including to the head, face, neck, trunk, arms and legs, which forensic pathologist Dr Edward John Williams told the court were "entirely in keeping with forceful and sustained pressure to the neck during assault". Opening the trial, prosecutor Michael Jones KC said: “What we know is in that house the defendant physically and repeatedly attacked Ms Evans before strangling her to death." She was wearing only a bath towel when police found her on the kitchen floor, he added. In a notepad found in the defendant's vehicle following Ms Evans’ death was a note reading: “I got scammed and rinsed by my own son so I dealt with it myself. Had no other choice.”.

Mr Jones reminded the jury of the "callous indifference" displayed by Jones, who just minutes after killing Evans, visited a local bakery where he ordered food. The defence case, led by David Elias KC, told the court that Jones was under significant emotional distress at the time of the murder, and was suffering from a psychiatric delusion of which anger and violence were among the symptoms. Consultant psychiatrist, Dilum Jayawickrama, also told the court Jones had a history of mental health issues and had previously suffered drug-induced psychosis when he started to “hear voices” after taking cocaine. He had also told a GP he had "felt suicidal", and told a doctor he thought his son and Ms Evans were stealing his identity to defraud him.

Michael Jones KC, on behalf of the prosecution, said in his final speech: “On the morning of July 5 this defendant visited Sophie Evans at her address in Llanelli. They were known to each other and she returned home that morning having taken her children to school. Whatever happened at that house that morning we know cannot be told to us by Sophie Evans, but what we know is in that house that morning this defendant, in his own words, lost his temper before strangling Sophie which caused her death.”.

Referencing the defendant’s claim that he was demonstrating significant emotional distress at the time of this incident, Mr Jones said: “With those car keys deliberately on her back he drove away from the scene. What was not in dispute is the defendant did not stay to help her and did not call the emergency services either. “We know from various footage the defendant runs out of the property at 10am to his vehicle but for whatever reason re-enters the property. He then calmly walks out of the property and when he leaves he complains to himself about the door. ‘F***** useless f******* door,’ he said when he left, knowing he had left Sophie Evans in that state.