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| Dean Mears Rhyl ring doorbell killer jailed for Catherine Flynn murder | Dean Mears Rhyl ring doorbell killer jailed for Catherine Flynn murder |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A doorbell camera captured the moment killer Dean Mears broke into Catherine Flynn's home | |
| The daughter of a murdered woman says her life shattered when she saw the killer enter her mother's home via a ring doorbell alert. | The daughter of a murdered woman says her life shattered when she saw the killer enter her mother's home via a ring doorbell alert. |
| Dean Mears dragged grandmother Catherine Flynn, 69, from her bed and stamped on her, breaking every bone in her face during the attack in October 2024. | Dean Mears dragged grandmother Catherine Flynn, 69, from her bed and stamped on her, breaking every bone in her face during the attack in October 2024. |
| Mrs Flynn's daughter Natasha Flynn-Farrell said she watched helplessly after she received a doorbell camera alert of the drug dealer breaking into her mother's home in the seaside town of Rhyl in Denbighshire. | Mrs Flynn's daughter Natasha Flynn-Farrell said she watched helplessly after she received a doorbell camera alert of the drug dealer breaking into her mother's home in the seaside town of Rhyl in Denbighshire. |
| Jailing him for life with a 27 year and 128 day minimum term, Judge Rhys Rowlands said Mears, 35, was responsible for a "savage, and quite ferocious and merciless attack". | Jailing him for life with a 27 year and 128 day minimum term, Judge Rhys Rowlands said Mears, 35, was responsible for a "savage, and quite ferocious and merciless attack". |
| He said the recording captured on the doorbell camera "can only be described as horrific". | He said the recording captured on the doorbell camera "can only be described as horrific". |
| "It was by all accounts a truly shocking and cruel way to end her life." | "It was by all accounts a truly shocking and cruel way to end her life." |
| Mears, from Kinmel Bay in Conwy, was found guilty of murder after a nine-day trial in Caernarfon in May. | Mears, from Kinmel Bay in Conwy, was found guilty of murder after a nine-day trial in Caernarfon in May. |
| The jury heard he had taken ketamine and cannabis before breaking into the frail grandmother's home - a woman he had never met. | The jury heard he had taken ketamine and cannabis before breaking into the frail grandmother's home - a woman he had never met. |
| He then smashed a window and entered the home, going straight to Mrs Flynn's bedroom. | He then smashed a window and entered the home, going straight to Mrs Flynn's bedroom. |
| He could be heard screaming at her before the sickening sound of stamping was captured on the doorbell recording. | He could be heard screaming at her before the sickening sound of stamping was captured on the doorbell recording. |
| Mrs Flynn was taken to hospital after suffering extensive facial trauma and multiple fractures, where she died the following day. | Mrs Flynn was taken to hospital after suffering extensive facial trauma and multiple fractures, where she died the following day. |
| Prosecutor Andrew Jones KC said she had suffered serious health and mobility issues, and used a stairlift and a walking frame inside her house. | Prosecutor Andrew Jones KC said she had suffered serious health and mobility issues, and used a stairlift and a walking frame inside her house. |
| She was just 4ft 10in (1.47m) and weighed less than eight stone (50kg). | She was just 4ft 10in (1.47m) and weighed less than eight stone (50kg). |
| Catherine Flynn, who was known by family and friends as Cathy, died from extensive stamp injuries to her head and neck | Catherine Flynn, who was known by family and friends as Cathy, died from extensive stamp injuries to her head and neck |
| Mrs Flynn-Farrell addressed her mother's killer in the dock on Friday. | Mrs Flynn-Farrell addressed her mother's killer in the dock on Friday. |
| "You Dean Mears - you can't even look at me," she said. | "You Dean Mears - you can't even look at me," she said. |
| "You didn't just kill my mum - you killed a part of me. | "You didn't just kill my mum - you killed a part of me. |
| "You Dean Mears took the light out of my life. | "You Dean Mears took the light out of my life. |
| "I want my words and my face to be etched into your brain." | "I want my words and my face to be etched into your brain." |
| She said she lived with the footage and sounds captured by the doorbell camera during the attack. | She said she lived with the footage and sounds captured by the doorbell camera during the attack. |
| "I hear those thuds to her head, face and neck every day. | "I hear those thuds to her head, face and neck every day. |
| "It replays in my in slow motion - thud, thud, thud. | "It replays in my in slow motion - thud, thud, thud. |
| "That moment was the vilest, sickening moment of my life. | "That moment was the vilest, sickening moment of my life. |
| "How could you do what you did to my mum - my queenie. You should hang your head in shame. | "How could you do what you did to my mum - my queenie. You should hang your head in shame. |
| "You are nothing but a coward. I'll never forgive you Dean Mears." | "You are nothing but a coward. I'll never forgive you Dean Mears." |
| Mears pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but was found guilty of murder by a jury after a nine-day trial in May | Mears pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but was found guilty of murder by a jury after a nine-day trial in May |
| Pathologist Dr Brian Rodgers told the jury Mrs Flynn's injuries were "the types of injuries you see in high-speed road traffic collisions". | Pathologist Dr Brian Rodgers told the jury Mrs Flynn's injuries were "the types of injuries you see in high-speed road traffic collisions". |
| The doorbell recording suggested there were up to 15 blows from her killer. | The doorbell recording suggested there were up to 15 blows from her killer. |
| Mears admitted he had carried out the attack, but said he had no recollection of what happened. | Mears admitted he had carried out the attack, but said he had no recollection of what happened. |
| His defence team argued Mears had been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), after being stabbed twice following a prison sentence for drug dealing. | His defence team argued Mears had been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), after being stabbed twice following a prison sentence for drug dealing. |
| Natasha Flynn-Farrell says her mother's murder has left her family "shattered" | Natasha Flynn-Farrell says her mother's murder has left her family "shattered" |
| Speaking to BBC Wales before the sentencing, Mrs Flynn-Farrell recounted the moment she received the doorbell notification to tell her someone was at her mother's front door. | Speaking to BBC Wales before the sentencing, Mrs Flynn-Farrell recounted the moment she received the doorbell notification to tell her someone was at her mother's front door. |
| "It is the worst night of my life I have ever experienced," she said. | "It is the worst night of my life I have ever experienced," she said. |
| "My life just shattered in that second," she said. | "My life just shattered in that second," she said. |
| "As soon as I clicked on that notification, that was the moment my world crumbled." | "As soon as I clicked on that notification, that was the moment my world crumbled." |
| Mrs Flynn-Farrell was home alone as events unfolded a short drive away at her mother's house, and could only watch and listen until Mears left before she could phone the police. | Mrs Flynn-Farrell was home alone as events unfolded a short drive away at her mother's house, and could only watch and listen until Mears left before she could phone the police. |
| "For those two minutes I had to watch that out. It felt like two hours. I was hysterical." | "For those two minutes I had to watch that out. It felt like two hours. I was hysterical." |
| Arriving at the house, Mrs Flynn-Farrell was kept outside while police went in to see what had happened to her mother. | Arriving at the house, Mrs Flynn-Farrell was kept outside while police went in to see what had happened to her mother. |
| "I did know it was serious but I was trying to tell myself it was going to be OK, that hopefully it wasn't as bad as what I'd heard. | "I did know it was serious but I was trying to tell myself it was going to be OK, that hopefully it wasn't as bad as what I'd heard. |
| "But it was awful. It was the worst outcome that could have ever happened for her - and for all our family." | "But it was awful. It was the worst outcome that could have ever happened for her - and for all our family." |
| Mrs Flynn-Farrell said Mears was "not worth the air we breathe". | Mrs Flynn-Farrell said Mears was "not worth the air we breathe". |
| "To be able to do that to a defenceless, 69-year-old, frail, seven stone little woman. She was like a little doll. | "To be able to do that to a defenceless, 69-year-old, frail, seven stone little woman. She was like a little doll. |
| "He's a monster and he's a coward. | "He's a monster and he's a coward. |
| Mrs Flynn-Farrell said her mother's murder has had a profound affect on her and those around her. | Mrs Flynn-Farrell said her mother's murder has had a profound affect on her and those around her. |
| "There are so many lives he has ripped apart," she said. | "There are so many lives he has ripped apart," she said. |
| "The ripple effect this has had - not just on the family, on the community, on complete strangers. It's been a whirlwind of emotions for everyone." | "The ripple effect this has had - not just on the family, on the community, on complete strangers. It's been a whirlwind of emotions for everyone." |
| She said she was still living with the impact every day. | She said she was still living with the impact every day. |
| "I find it hard most days to get up and go out. I don't want to see anyone, I've lost contact with my friends. | "I find it hard most days to get up and go out. I don't want to see anyone, I've lost contact with my friends. |
| "It's given me bad anxiety, depression, PTSD. I don't even watch the telly anymore, in case things trigger it. | "It's given me bad anxiety, depression, PTSD. I don't even watch the telly anymore, in case things trigger it. |
| "I'm living a nightmare still." | "I'm living a nightmare still." |
| The murder took place at Cefndy Road in the Rhyl | The murder took place at Cefndy Road in the Rhyl |
| Mrs Flynn-Farrell said she hoped the sentencing could finally bring some closure to the tragedy and wants to be able to help others facing family trauma in the future. | Mrs Flynn-Farrell said she hoped the sentencing could finally bring some closure to the tragedy and wants to be able to help others facing family trauma in the future. |
| She coined the social media tag #JusticeforQueenie as the murder case went through the court system, as a platform to remember her mother and to talk about what had happened. | She coined the social media tag #JusticeforQueenie as the murder case went through the court system, as a platform to remember her mother and to talk about what had happened. |
| "It's not just for my mum - it's for everyone's Queenie," she said. | "It's not just for my mum - it's for everyone's Queenie," she said. |
| "I want this to carry on and be a platform against violence for women and girls. It'll be used to help other organisations, femicide awareness and things like that." | "I want this to carry on and be a platform against violence for women and girls. It'll be used to help other organisations, femicide awareness and things like that." |