THE family of a grandmother murdered by a man from Gwynedd have said that his sentencing has given them “some sort of closure”.

Margaret Barnes, 71, was killed on July 11, 2022 by David Redfern, 46, of Marine Parade, Barmouth, after entering his house and later his bed, mistaking it for the B&B she was staying in.

Redfern denied the charge of murder, but after being found guilty by a jury on March 29, he was sentenced to life imprisonment on March 31, with a minimum term of 14 years.

Following Redfern’s sentencing, police have shared closed circuit television footage of the moment Mrs Barnes approached and entered his address at 10.10pm on July 10.

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Gwynedd man sentenced for murdering 71-year-old grandmother

The family of Mrs Barnes, who was from Birmingham, have reflected on “the hardest time of our lives.”

A statement from the family read: “Margaret, who was a much-loved wife, mother and grandmother, has now been gone for eight months.

“As a family, it has been the hardest time of our lives.

“It has been especially difficult for Margaret’s husband, who had been her partner for 56 years.

“We now have some sort of closure on what has happened; however, no length of sentence will ever fill the void that Margaret has left behind.

“As a family, we would like to thank the police their hard work in putting the case together.

“We would also like to thank Katherine and Arwyn, the family liaison officers, for their support, the jury for their time, and also Mike Jones KC and his prosecution team.”

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Mrs Barnes is survived by her husband, David; her children, Simon and Natalie; her four grandchildren; and her great-grandchild.

A "kick or stamp" was inflicted by Redfern upon Mrs Barnes with "considerable force", and the injuries she sustained were "unsurvivable".

After she had been attacked by Redfern late on July 10, she was pronounced dead at roughly 2am on July 11.

Detective Superintendent Mark Pierce said: “We welcome today’s life sentence for David Redfern for the brutal murder of Margaret Barnes.

“During a two-week trial, Redfern showed no remorse, attempted to blame Margaret for his actions, and subjected her family to the trauma of a two-week trial where details of the event were explored in graphic detail.

“How a 21 stone, 6’1’’ man could have inflicted such catastrophic injuries on a frail, 71-year-old lady, 25 years his senior, is beyond the comprehension of any reasonable person.

“David Redfern is a cowardly, vicious bully and will now spend at least 14 years behind bars, where he can reflect on what he has done.

"In stark contrast, Margaret’s family have displayed tremendous courage and dignity throughout the investigation and during the court proceedings.

“They can now start to re-build their lives as they begin to move forward.”