Doctor’s haunting last words played in court after being left to die in ‘homophobic’ attack
Dr Gary Jenkins was beaten to death in a homophobic attack in Cardiff in 2021 (South Wales Police)
Psychiatrist Dr Gary Jenkins last words were played in court, after he was beaten and left for dead in a “homophobic” attack in Cardiff.
The consultant psychiatrist, 54, who lived and worked in Cardiff, was openly bisexual and had visited Cardiff’s Bute Park more than once to look for “sexual contact with like-minded men”.
But on 20 July 2021, the father-of-two was attacked by two men and a girl in the park, leaving him with a severe brain injury that killed him 16 days later.
Lee Strickland, 36, Jason Edwards, 25, and a girl, who was 16 at the time of the attack and cannot be named for legal reasons, have pleaded guilt to manslaughter, robbery and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
They are now on trial for Jenkins’ murder at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court in South Wales, and have all denied the charge. The trial is expected to last four weeks.
On Wednesday (26 January), audio captured during the attack by CCTV at a nearby café was played to the court.
While the subtitles were provided by the prosecution and could be disputed by the defendants’ legal representation, they give an estimation of what would prove to be Jenkins’ final words.
According to WalesOnline, the audio captured a man’s voice begging for help, asking the attackers: “Leave me alone… get off me.” The same voice later cries: “Stop it, stop it.”
The voices of the attackers, however, can be heard using the homophobic slur “poof”, demanding money, and instructing: “Stamp his head.” Towards the end of the attack, which laster for around 15 minutes, a female voice was heard saying: “Yeah, I needed that.”
Prosecutor Dafydd Enoch described Jenkins’ death as motivated by “greed, homophobia, and a straightforward liking for violence”, and added that it was “torture – pure and simple”.
A bystander tried to protect Dr Gary Jenkins by acting as a human ‘barrier’
On Thursday (27 January), jurors watched a police interview with witness Louis Williams, who tried to protect Dr Gary Jenkins from the brutal attack.
During the interview, Williams said he heard “aggressive” noises in the park, which he said “sounded like there was a fight or altercation”.
He approached, and said: “I could see a male on the floor. Two males were kicking him. A female was also shouting and kicking… I wanted to fight but I was scared, really.
“They were kicking him to the body… They were just shouting and laughing and swearing.”
Williams said he tried to act as a human “barrier” to protect Jenkins, and was attacked himself.
Asked what the attackers’ tone of voice was like, Williams said: “Bullying. Like they were having fun, like they had a right to do it. Like they think it’s funny.”
He went for help, but by the time he returned, police were on the scene.
The trial continues.
