A mother who died in a grenade explosion at her parents' home in Frenchay, Bristol, saved her child's life by telling him to play on the trampoline moments before the blast. Joanne Shaw, 35, was killed after her former partner, Ryan Kelly, 41, detonated a grenade on the doorstep of the property in the early hours of Sunday, 3 May.
Neighbour Stuart Blanchard told The Mirror: 'I spoke to the guy who called 999 and he said the child was out on the trampoline. It will haunt [them]. She probably told [the child] to go out there to get out of the way of them arguing.' Blanchard said he was woken by Joanne shouting 'go away, go away' before hearing a loud boom that shook his door and windows.
Avon and Somerset Police confirmed that Shaw and Kelly died in the explosion. The force said the pair had a history of domestic incidents and has referred itself to the police watchdog. Kelly had previously been convicted of conspiracy to supply cocaine as part of a crystal meth operation, receiving a five-year prison sentence in 2015.
A friend of Joanne's mother said she immediately suspected Kelly was responsible, describing him as a 'bad man'. The friend added: 'She [Joanne] was the loveliest, kindest lady and she didn't deserve this. The family doesn't deserve it.' Another neighbour, Michael Gwyther, said he heard a blast and thought someone was trying to kick through the door.
Police were called to the terraced property at 06:17 BST following reports of a domestic incident. The explosion occurred shortly after 06:30. Superintendent Matt Ebbs said: 'Jo's death has been officially recorded as a homicide based on the information known to us at this time. We are not looking for anyone else in connection with her death.'
