Family reaction to murder verdict

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The parents of a young woman, strangled by her older ex-boyfriend, said his murder conviction was a "step forward".

Phillip Packer, 50, drove the body of Jenna Thomas, 21, to Porthcawl police station after he had killed her.

Her parents Kay and David said the verdict at Cardiff Crown Court could "never be fair retribution" for the taking of Jenna's life.

Doorman Packer, who met Ms Thomas at the club where she worked as a barmaid, will be sentenced on Monday.

Cardiff Crown Court was told that father-of-two Packer refused to accept that their relationship had ended.

The jury retired for just over three hours before finding Packer guilty of murder.

She was described by the prosecution as an "attractive, intelligent, confident, fun-loving girl" who left school with 11 GCSEs.

Jenna Thomas was working as a barmaid when she met Phillip Packer

The trial had heard the couple had met when Ms Thomas was 19 and Packer 47, and started living together in a seafront flat.

But their relationship deteriorated and after they broke up and she moved back home, he "would not let her go," the jury was told.

'Endure'

He confronted her about her starting a new relationship and strangled her in his Volkswagen Bora car after a long argument.

After the verdict on Friday, Ms Thomas's parents said in a statement: "It's seven months since our beautiful daughter Jenna was murdered by Phillip Packer. Today justice has caught up with him.

"Phillip Packer has been convicted of murder and will be imprisoned for the taking of our precious daughter's life.

"We are grateful for this outcome. Unfortunately it will never be fair retribution for the taking of Jenna's life, nor can it compensate for the loss that we feel and will have to endure."

They thanked their friends, relatives and police.

A statement by Ms Thomas's twin sister Nicola will be read to the court on Monday.