Crime Documentary - The Hayley Jones (Facebook Murder) story
- 7 years ago
Viewer discretion is advised. Some may find this content disturbing. This is a documentary I found interesting.
Brian Lewis is accused of strangling his partner Hayley Jones to death at the home they shared with their four children. The defendant fled the scene during the early hours of March 12 2009 and drove to a police station, leaving his kids to find their mother's body in the living room, Cardiff Crown Court heard.
Lewis, 31, of Pritchard Terrace, Phillipstown, New Tredegar, south Wales, denies murder.
The jury heard cracks began to appear in the couple's relationship due to financial problems after he lost his job.
As a result, the 26-year-old mother found work as a care assistant having previously stayed at home to look after their children.
Prosecutor Mark Evans QC said: "Hayley had at the same time started to expand her social horizons. She had began spending a lot of time on the internet chat site Facebook. Brian Lewis was to state in interview and to other people that she had been quite secretive about this. For example, preventing him from accessing the site and switching the computer off to prevent him from seeing any of the content."
A post-mortem examination found Ms Jones died of strangulation. Most significant was a stabbing injury she received to her chest. The prosecutor said this proved to be non-fatal as the blade's path had been blocked by Ms Jones's rib cage although it had penetrated two sleeping bags and three layers of clothing she was wearing while trying to sleep on the living room settee.
"The incident shows Hayley was lying down on the settee when this assault occurred,'' said Mr Evans. ''She could not have been on her feet fighting, throwing punches. Whatever the truth of what Brian Lewis is saying, he had first tried to stab her with the largest kitchen knife as she lay on the settee trying to get to sleep."
The jury heard the defendant told police in interview he had the knife in his hands at the time of the scuffle with his partner because he was trimming his finger nails.
Brian Lewis is accused of strangling his partner Hayley Jones to death at the home they shared with their four children. The defendant fled the scene during the early hours of March 12 2009 and drove to a police station, leaving his kids to find their mother's body in the living room, Cardiff Crown Court heard.
Lewis, 31, of Pritchard Terrace, Phillipstown, New Tredegar, south Wales, denies murder.
The jury heard cracks began to appear in the couple's relationship due to financial problems after he lost his job.
As a result, the 26-year-old mother found work as a care assistant having previously stayed at home to look after their children.
Prosecutor Mark Evans QC said: "Hayley had at the same time started to expand her social horizons. She had began spending a lot of time on the internet chat site Facebook. Brian Lewis was to state in interview and to other people that she had been quite secretive about this. For example, preventing him from accessing the site and switching the computer off to prevent him from seeing any of the content."
A post-mortem examination found Ms Jones died of strangulation. Most significant was a stabbing injury she received to her chest. The prosecutor said this proved to be non-fatal as the blade's path had been blocked by Ms Jones's rib cage although it had penetrated two sleeping bags and three layers of clothing she was wearing while trying to sleep on the living room settee.
"The incident shows Hayley was lying down on the settee when this assault occurred,'' said Mr Evans. ''She could not have been on her feet fighting, throwing punches. Whatever the truth of what Brian Lewis is saying, he had first tried to stab her with the largest kitchen knife as she lay on the settee trying to get to sleep."
The jury heard the defendant told police in interview he had the knife in his hands at the time of the scuffle with his partner because he was trimming his finger nails.