Stephanie Davis has expressed anger that her mother's killer has been able to live a better life than honest, hardworking people, even after being jailed again for drug offences. Christopher Mason-Jones, formerly Christopher Jones, was convicted in 2005 for the murder of Shirley Oliver, 42, in one of Cardiff's most notorious killings. He was released on parole in 2018 but was sentenced to 22 months in prison last week for drug supply offences.
Family's Ongoing Ordeal
Davis, who was 21 when her mother was killed, said: "It's just madness. They can do all that, come out and have a better life than people who are struggling and working for years. He has been allowed to change his name, I don't understand how he was able to do that." She described her mother as her best friend and said the family has never found closure.
The two brothers, Christopher and Stuart Jones, beat, strangled, and stamped on Shirley before dumping her body in a Cardiff alleyway in 2005. The murder followed an argument over a garage bill. The judge at Cardiff Crown Court described it as a "callous and cold-blooded killing of a woman who did you no wrong." Both were sentenced to life imprisonment.
Release and Reoffending
Christopher Jones was granted parole in 2018 against the family's wishes and released on life-long licence. He changed his name to Christopher Mason-Jones and lived in Swansea. Last week, he was sentenced to 22 months for being concerned in the supply of cannabis and ketamine, possession of cocaine and ketamine with intent to supply, and possession of criminal property. Davis said she learned of his arrest through messages and was horrified.
Davis said: "I never got over it, when it's there we were horrified and it set us all back. My phone, my door, my messages, that's the only way we found out." She added that Mason-Jones showed no remorse for the murder and she fears for her family's safety. "He's institutionalised now, his life is prison so coming out he can do what he wants because he doesn't care if he goes back inside."
Life Sentence for the Family
Davis said the repeated court appearances and releases mean the family relives the trauma. "It just starts all over again, people stop me and ask questions... I'm grateful people care so much but it's over and over and over. (The killers) get to move on and live their lives. We're the ones with a life sentence, not them."
She still thinks about her mother daily, describing her as the "kindest person" who would give anyone her last. "She was like my mum and my best friend."
