Two men and a teenage girl who laughed as they tortured a dad to death have been given life sentences.
Dr Gary Jenkins, 54, was brutally beaten, kicked and punched to death in a homophobic attack in Bute Park, Cardiff, in the early hours of July 20, 2021. Audio of the horrendous attack, carried out by Jason Edwards, 25, Lee Strickland, 36, and Dionne Timms-Williams, 17, depicted Dr Jenkins pleading for help and for his attacks to “leave me alone” but his cries were left unheeded.
After 15 minutes of being savagely beaten by the group, he was left for dead covered in blood with his trousers pulled down to expose his genitals. He was taken to hospital but died two weeks later on August 5, reports WalesOnline.
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Edwards, who is from Liverpool, Strickland and Timms-Williams were arrested and later pleaded guilty to manslaughter, robbery and assaulting a man who tried to intervene. They all denied murder but were found guilty by a jury following a trial at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court last month.
Judge Daniell Williams passed sentence on Friday (March 25). Edwards and Strickland were sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 33 years, while Timms-Williams was sentenced to life detention with a minimum of 18 years.
Sentencing, the judge said: “You fall to be sentenced for robbing and murdering Dr Gary Jenkins and assaulting a man who bravely tried to stop the attack upon him. You were convicted by a jury. At the time of the trial, there was focus on the actions of the three of you. It’s time to focus now on the life of Gary Jenkins.
“Gary Jenkins was kind, generous, he was compassionate and was humane. He was a much loved husband, a father, a brother, an uncle and a friend.
“He gave his professional life as a psychologist to relieve suffering of others and he went the extra mile for his patients. All those who knew and loved him have been left with a void in their lives which will never be filled. The world is eternally drabber for his passing. It’s a loss of kindness, a loss of colour, a loss of humour, music and energy.
“It will be of some comfort for those who endure his loss to reflect on the good he did his in 54 years and not the terrible moments of his death.”
Judge Williams continued: “It was Gary Jenkins’ tragic misfortune to cross your paths that night. Jason Edwards and Lee Strickland, you were drinking on Queen Street and, you, Dionne Timms-Williams walked in their direction. Having bought alcohol you walked to Bute Park in the early hours of the morning.
“You didn’t go the park just to drink, you could have carried on doing that where you were. “You didn’t go to Bute Park to rob anybody, there were any number of potential victims outside the park. You knew men met at night in that park to have sex."
Addressing Jason Edwards, the judge said: "You, Jason Edwards told the police it was a ‘dirty park’ because of that. Dionne Timms-Williams you were heard saying ‘If we’re going to stay in f****** Bute Park could we at least go and steal’. Why speak of Bute Park in those terms? The three of you went to Bute Park that night to find a homosexual man to rob. Why? Because you thought your intended victim would be less likely to report it to the police, and secondly and in each of your cases, sheer homophobia.”
