Sister urges more victim support

Jason William's mother Eileen and sister Julie say they cannot grieve

The sister of a murdered Swansea man whose body has never been found says the legal system must do more to support the families of victims.

Jason Williams was stabbed to death by Richard Davies nearly three years ago but now Davies, from Gorseinon, has won the right to appeal against the conviction.

Mr Williams's sister Julie said although her family was told of Davies's intention to appeal they were unable to discover on what grounds it was being made or whether the application had been successful.

She believes relatives should be provided with more information so they can try and prepare themselves for the trauma of what might lie ahead.

Neither her or her parents are planning to attend the full appeal hearing likely to take place later in the year.

Lawyers acting for Davies have claimed that there were errors in the judge's summing up at the original trial.

We are left standing by the roadside, knee deep in long grass with no privacy as cars pass on by Julie Williams

This, they claim, could have resulted in the jury returning a verdict of manslaughter rather than murder.

Mrs Williams says it was hard enough sitting through evidence at the original trial at Swansea Crown Court almost two years ago.

"Before the trial the police or the prosecution were not able to tell us much about how Jason died because they did not want to prejudice the case," she said.

"When we heard the details for the first time it was in open court. It was very shocking. My mother only went a few times as she could not sit through it and it was very hard for my dad hearing the details for the first time.

"This time we were told that the appeal was going ahead but we could not be told about what the appeal was based on.

"If we had that information we would have had a chance to prepare ourselves for how things could go."

Jason Williams's body has never been found

Davies, 30, is serving life sentence for killing Mr Williams, a father-of-one, at the home of a mutual friend.

Throughout his trial Davies maintained he was innocent and after being found guilty refused to disclose where he had disposed of the body.

"That has been one of the hardest parts," said Mrs Williams.

"For most people when they lose someone the funeral is in effect a bit of closure.

"After the funeral people start to adjust to living without someone but my mum and dad have never had that.

The family was so desperate for a place where they could go to remember Mr Williams that they planted a tree on a roadside near Trecastle in the Brecon Beacons where it is believed he was buried.

"We are left standing by the roadside, knee deep in long grass with no privacy as cars pass on by," Mrs Williams said.

"It's not a very dignified ending."