John Mason gets life sentence for torture and murder of Angelika Dries-Jenkins
by Robin Turner, WalesOnline
Mar 29 2012
A man has been found guilty of torturing and beating a grandmother to death so he could get money for his wedding.
John Mason, 55, of Llandissilio, Pembrokeshire, was convicted unanimously of murdering 66-year-old Angelika Dries-Jenkins at her home in Providence Hill, Narberth. He has been given a life sentence for the crime, and must serve a minimum term of 30 years in prison.
Swansea Crown Court heard that on June 1 last year he tortured the divorcee for her cash machine PIN number then beat her to death with a heavy object, which has still not been found.
Despite having distinctive burns, he brazenly drove off in his victim’s Skoda Fabia car and, over the next few days, drained her account of £1,000 at cash machines in Whitland and Haverfordwest.
Mason, who suffered burns in a suicide attempt when he set himself on fire using petrol, was on benefits and needed money for his planned wedding to fiancee, Liverpudlian Denise Evans, of Narberth, on June 10 last year.
The wedding never took place as Mason was arrested on June 7 last year.
The jury took just two hours to find Mason guilty today after hearing his DNA was found on Mrs Dries-Jenkins’s car and being shown CCTV images of Mason in Haverfordwest at times when withdrawals were made from the dead woman’s account.
The court heard Mason had a long criminal record, including a number of drink-driving offences, assault, burglary, robbery, and one incident last year in which he made threats to kill his fiancee.
The court was also told Mason killed Mrs Dries-Jenkins while wearing an ankle tag imposed at Swansea Crown Court last year for the threats to kill.
Trial judge Mr Justice Wyn Williams told Mason: "You have been convicted of a brutal and heartless murder. You killed a kind and gentle woman in her own home and did it so you could steal her money.
"In the days that followed, you spent her money and you went about your business as if you did not have a care in the world.
"This was, by any standards, a despicable crime."
On the steps of the court, members of Mrs Dries-Jenkins's family said: "Words cannot adequately describe our relief that the jury has found John Mason guilty of terrorising, murdering and, over the following days, continuing to steal from our mother.
"This relief is first and foremost for our mother's sake: a gentle, peaceful lady who, ironically, was found dead in her yoga clothes. Secondly, for ourselves, for all those who knew and loved her, and for the communities of Narberth and the surrounding area, John Mason, the person responsible for this horrific and cowardly act of violence, has been prevented from inflicting such suffering on any other individual or family.
"John Mason has, through his actions, made victims not only of our mother and family but indeed of those in the wider community.
"Her absence continues to be felt keenly by all of us every day."
SOURCE: WalesOnline,UK
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