18-Year-Old Sentenced to Life for Mother's Murder

An 18-year-old man from Prestatyn, North Wales, has been sentenced to life imprisonment after admitting to the murder of his mother, Angela Shellis, in a prolonged attack that ended at Morfa nature reserve on October 24, 2024.

Tristan Thomas Roberts pleaded guilty to the killing at Mold Crown Court in February 2025 and was sentenced on March 25, 2025, to serve a minimum of 22 years and six months before being eligible for parole, reduced slightly for time already in custody. He will remain on license for life. The court heard that Roberts had planned the murder for at least three weeks, purchasing hammers, knives, protective clothing, gloves, and other items online. He also spent extensive time researching murders and seeking advice from an AI tool on methods of killing and cleaning up blood, including queries on whether a hammer or knife would be more effective.

The attack began around 11 p.m. on October 23 at the family home on Coniston Drive, where Roberts held Shellis, a 45-year-old teaching assistant at Rhyl High School, captive in her bedroom for over four hours. He assaulted her with a hammer and strangled her while she remained conscious, pleading for him to call...