A man who brutally murdered his partner of 32 years after wrongly believing she was being unfaithful has been jailed for life. Colin John Milburn, 52, bludgeoned Buddug Jones to death at her home in Maes Gwelfor in Rhydwyn, near Holyhead, on April 22 last year.
The prosecution claimed Milburn was "fixated" with the idea that Ms Jones, 48, was having an affair. When she ended their three-decade relationship, he waited for her to be alone in her house in a cul-de-sac and killed her in what was described as a "cowardly and brutal attack".
A pathologist said the most likely weapon used in the attack was a hammer. She died of catastrophic head injuries.
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Milburn claimed he only found her body and rushed outside to get help from the neighbours. He said he didn’t know how she died and still loved her. But a jury of nine men and three women took six and a half hours to reach an 11-1 majority verdict finding him guilty after an 18-day trial.
At the sentencing at Caernarfon Crown Court on Friday, junior prosecutor Anna Pope read out victim impact statements. Milburn and Ms Jones' son, John Milburn, said he felt shock and numbness after his mother's murder two days before his 24th birthday. "I could not have predicted what happened to Mam," he said. "I feel guilty I took her for granted. She has massive shoes to fill. I like to think she is proud of me."
Another son Daniel Milburn, 22, said in his victim statement that their father "lost the right to be called my Dad" after killing their mum. He said he has lost weight and threw himself into work to keep busy. "I'm scared of slowing down and having time to think too much about what happened," the statement read. "I miss random chats and banter with Mam. We all went to her for advice."
Prosecutor Gordon Cole KC said Milburn "lay in wait" for Ms Jones to be "alone and vulnerable" before the killing and got in and out of the house in Maes Gwelfor within a matter of minutes. He said there was pre-planning and premeditation in what he did and described the murder as a "ferocious attack involving at least five blows".
Jonathan Rees KC, defending, said it was accepted that there was planning in the killing as Milburn had waited for his sons to leave the family home and Ms Jones to be alone. He added that Ms Jones appeared to be asleep when she was fatally attacked.
"There was no history of the use or threat of violence by this defendant towards Buddug Jones," said Mr Rees. "There were good times in the relationship while they lived at Maes Gwelfor.
He added: "He [Milburn] could be pleasant, calm and friendly albeit (he was) increasingly occupied by the thought the deceased was having an affair or affairs. Those matters preyed on the defendant's mind. He is a man of poor education. He left school at an early age. He has type 2 diabetes and a history of depression."
The judge, His Honour Rhys Rowlands, told the defendant he was a controlling man which can lead to violence when it is perceived that that influence is lessening. He said: "You are a man consumed by self-interest and (the) belief you were hard done by."
The judge said Ms Jones was a "lovely, warm and kind-hearted" person and "a doting grandmother deprived of the chance of seeing her grandchildren grow up because of what Colin Milburn did".
Milburn was jailed for life and he will serve a minimum term of 20 years imprisonment, minus 231 days already served on remand, before his case is eligible to be considered by the parole board.
Andrew Slight of the CPS said: "Colin Milburn had convinced himself that his partner was having an affair and brutally attacked her. The catastrophic head injuries he inflicted proved to be fatal.
“The CPS presented strong evidence to show Milburn was responsible which resulted in his conviction. Our thoughts remain with Buddug’s family and friends who have suffered a terrible loss."
Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Sergeant James Stamatiou, of the North Wales Police Force Major Investigation Team said: “This was a cowardly attack on a defenceless woman, whose life was cruelly cut short in her own home. Colin Milburn continually denied killing his partner when the evidence clearly showed that he was responsible.
"He took away Buddug’s future and he will be the only person who truly knows the reasons for his dreadful actions. Buddug was much loved by her four sons, extended family and friends and I recognise no sentence will ever bring her back, but I do hope today’s outcome will bring a small sense of peace to her family.
“Our thoughts are with them all today.” Ms Jones’ sons said: "Buddug was the best of the best. She was such a special mam, naini, sister and friend with the kindest of hearts.
“Nothing has been the same since she’s gone, and nothing ever will be. Whilst no sentence will ever bring her back or come close to filling the hole that’s been left in our lives without her, it does give us some closure to be able to try and put all this behind us and move on with our lives, whilst still remembering her in everything we do.
“We kindly ask to be left in peace and privacy as we continue to grieve for our mam, naini, sister and friend.”
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