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Bristol Post
Bristol Post
National
Estel Farell Roig

Family's 'nightmare' after unsolved murder of dad-of-two

Shortly after the murder of their dad, two daughters made an emotional appeal to catch the killer.

Just before 10pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2002 Evan Jones had enjoyed a drink at the Beaufort pub in York Road, Montpelier. An hour later he was left for dead, lying unconscious in a pool of blood, after being viciously beaten with a chain on Stokes Croft.

Twenty years later, his killer - or killers - have never been found. You can find out more about the case here.

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A month after his death, his daughters Hannah Barnett, then aged 26, a care worker from Chippenham, and sister Naomi Jones, then aged 22, revealed they had no contact with him when they were younger after their parents divorced, but that in recent years had started to rebuild their relationship.

The sisters, from Chippenham, made an emotional appeal for information about the murder of their father, a former rugby player.

Hannah said: "My sister and I feel cheated and robbed of the chance to get to know him better and have a decent relationship with him."

She added said: "This has been a deeply distressing ordeal for everyone in our family and we would not want any other family to have to go through what we have suffered since our dad's death.

"Dad had a friendly and outgoing personality and had time for everyone, especially the homeless. Over the last few years he discovered a talent for sculpture which he did for the love of it.

"We want to know why he was killed. We are sure there are still people out there who have not come forward and have vital information.

"We would appeal to anyone who has information or was in the area on the day of our dad's murder to speak to police. We are anxious that the person responsible is brought to justice and would implore anyone who has information to either ring police or Crimestoppers."

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And the former wife of the murder victim also spoke about how the anguish over his death led to a drink-driving conviction. Back in July 2002, Linda Jones said her former husband had just got back in contact with her and their two children before he was beaten to death.

They were married in 1975 in Corsham and were divorced five years later. Mrs Jones, a former nurse at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, said: "My daughters Hannah, 26, and Naomi, 22, feel cheated. They were only just beginning to come into contact with him again and build up some kind of relationship.

"The past months have just been awful - like a nightmare."

Mrs Jones was arrested in Chippenham when her car hit a parked car. She was fined £240 with £55 costs by North Wiltshire Magistrates, after pleading guilty to drink driving, and was also banned from driving for 18 months.

Mrs Jones said she had drunk five glasses of wine and was arrested when she went to buy another bottle to help her sleep. She said: "Five people had been arrested the night before in connection with Evan's death. I just thought, 'Oh my God, we will have to go through a court case'."

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