Autistic teenager who strangled sister, 15, to death in holiday park caravan jailed for five years

An autistic man who killed his 15-year-old sister after an argument in a caravan at a holiday park has been jailed for five years.

Matthew Selby attacked his sister Amanda at Ty Mawr Holiday Park in Towyn, near Abergele, North Wales, on Saturday July 31 last year during a family trip.

The court heard that as she lay under her brother, Amanda said: ‘Tell mom I love her.’

At Mold Crown Court on Friday, the 20-year-old, who pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility at an earlier hearing, was given an extended 10-year sentence, made up of five years in prison and a further five years. license.

Judge Rhys Rowlands said the extended license was deemed necessary to protect the public from the risks posed by Selby.

In passing sentence, the judge said: ‘The family has been devastated by what happened on that day in July last year.’

The court heard that the brothers had been on holiday with their father Anthony when they returned to their caravan after a trip to Rhyl and began to argue.

Jamie Baxter, prosecutor, said Selby lunged at his sister after she hit him with a plug, causing a “trivial” injury to his lower lip.

She fell to the floor between two beds in the confined room and Selby climbed on top of her, the court heard.

Mr Baxter said: “Mr Selby Senior tried to climb over one of the beds and did everything he could to help but couldn’t get between his children.

“Her son was too strong, her anger too high, and her daughter had nowhere to move.”

The court heard that as she lay under her brother, Amanda said: ‘Tell mom I love her.’

The court heard that as she lay under her brother, Amanda said: ‘Tell mom I love her.’

Baxter said Selby pleaded with his son to get Amanda off of him, but he didn’t get up until she stopped breathing.

He said an ’emotional’ and ‘disturbing’ call to 999 showed Mr Selby’s ‘desperation’ as he tried everything he could to get his daughter onto his back or out of the room, but could not.

Police arrived and arrested Selby, the court heard.

An autopsy showed that Amanda’s cause of death was suffocation.

Baxter said Amanda’s parents had “understandably” chosen not to make victim statements in the case.

Selby seen arriving at Llandudno Magistrates in August 2021

Selby in a court sketch from a previous hearing: he has now been jailed for five years.

He said Selby, who appeared via a video link from HMP Berwyn, has autism spectrum disorder with intermittent explosive disorder, which causes aggressive outbursts, as well as depressive disorder.

Defendant Gordon Cole KC said attempts have been made to see if the court could order the accused to be hospitalized.

He said: ‘In short, you can’t, and we accept that it should be a custodial sentence.’

He said he had spoken to Selby’s mother before the hearing, telling the court: “This is horrible in the sense that she has, for all intents and purposes, lost two children, but she is very aware of the issues and the difficulties of this defendant”. she has and is here to support you.’

Pronouncing the sentence, Judge Rowlands told Selby it was “an extremely unusual and sad case which presents the court with a difficult task this morning”.

He said that Selby had been diagnosed with autism at age 16 and his parents suggested there was little real support from the authorities.

He was convicted of two counts of assault, against his sister and mother, in 2015 and had previous warnings for violence, the court heard.

After her death, Amanda’s family released a statement through North Wales Police which read: “Amanda was a loving daughter and granddaughter: she was caring, thoughtful, enjoyed helping others and loved her very much.” . We will miss her very much.