Murderers of beloved bisexual doctor laughed and joked as they were found guilty
Dr Gary Jenkins was beaten to death in a homophobic attack in Cardiff in 2021 (South Wales Police)
The two men convicted of murdering Dr Gary Jenkins were seen laughing and joking as they were found guilty of the gruesome homophobic attack.
Lee Strickland, 36, Jason Edwards, 25, and Dionne Timms-Williams, 17, were found guilty by a jury at Merthyr Crown Court on Wednesday (3 February).
The trio shouted homophobic abuse as they brutally beat and robbed Jenkins, who was openly bisexual, during the early hours of 20 July 2021. Jenkins suffered a severe brain injury as a result of the attack and died just 16 days later.
After eight days of trial, the jury only took four hours to reach a guilty verdict for all three defendants, according to Wales Online. All three were emotionless when the verdicts were initially delivered.
Soon after the verdicts were read out, judge Daniel Williams ordered Edwards and Strickland to be removed from the dock and taken to the cells after they were seen laughing and joking.
Timms-Williams, who was 16 at the time of the attack, remained in the dock.
The sentencing has been adjourned until 25 March for pre-sentence reports and a psychiatric report for Timms-Williams.
Judge Williams told the jury that “any available sentence for someone convicted or murder is life imprisonment”. He added that the court must mandate a period of imprisonment before a defendant can be eligible for a parole board hearing to consider release.
The judge said this could likely be a minimum period of 30 years for Edwards and Strickland while Timms-Williams’ case could be 12 years. But he explained that this could be adjusted depending on aggravating and mitigating factors.
After the verdict was read out, Dr Gary Jenkins’ family released a heartbreaking statement to pay tribute to beloved doctor and father of two.
The family described the consultant psychiatrist as a “kind soul who would never hurt anyone” and that he was a “creative man who only had good intentions”.
They added that Jenkins “spent most of his working life in the NHS” and that his untimely death not only impacted his loved ones but also his patients.
During the trial, the jurors were played audio captured by CCTV at a nearby café that revealed horrific details about the attack, which lasted around 15 minutes.
Dr Gary Jenkins could be heard repeatedly yelling for his attackers to “leave me alone” and “get off me”. He also pleaded for his life and asked for them to “stop it”.
One of the men could be heard on the audio urging others to “stamp on his head” while Timms-Williams instructed, “Hit him again.”
Witness Louis Williams told the court that he bravely intervened during the attack and crouched down to create a barrier between the attackers and Jenkins. But he said the trio soon turned on him.
He told police in an interview, which was later played in court, that he had been in the park when he heard an “aggressive” “fight or an altercation” break out.
Williams recalled seeing a man on the ground with three people surrounding him while punching and kicking him. He described how the three people were “egging each other on, laughing and aggressive”.
Williams added that he also heard them shout: “We’re robbing him”.
“Their tone was bullying, it was like they were having fun, they think it’s funny, it was just enjoyment for them,” he told police.
