Teenager Who Recorded Mother's Murder After Discord Obsession Faces Sentencing
Tristan Thomas Roberts, an 18-year-old from Prestatyn in north Wales, is being sentenced at Mold Crown Court today after pleading guilty to the brutal murder of his mother, Angela Shellis. The court heard harrowing details of how Roberts, who admitted hating women, recorded himself holding his mother hostage for hours before luring her to woods where he killed her with a hammer.
Chilling Recording of the Attack
Roberts made a continuous digital audio recording lasting more than four-and-a-half hours, capturing everything from the initial assault to the fatal blows. "This is the moment we are doing it. We are going to hit her with a sledge hammer," he said on the recording, which was deemed too distressing to be played in court.
The attack began around 11pm on October 23 last year and lasted until 3.30am. Roberts first assaulted his 45-year-old mother in her bedroom, hitting her with a hammer and strangling her. Shockingly, Ms Shellis remained conscious and spoke in a "calm and firm voice" to phone 999 for medical help during her ordeal.
Extensive Preparation Using AI and Discord
The court heard Roberts had spent weeks researching the killing. He used AI search tool Deepseek to ask for tips for a "non-experienced killer," including whether to use a knife or hammer. When the AI refused to engage, he lied that he was writing a book about serial killers.
Roberts was obsessed with the controversial messaging app Discord, where he posted disturbing content about murder, violence, misogyny, weapons, and his intention to kill his mother. He used multiple aliases on chat forums, and his profiles had been flagged for abusive and threatening content.
Weapons Purchased After Turning 18
Immediately after turning 18 in October, Roberts took advantage of being legally able to purchase knives to assemble an arsenal of weapons. He bought items including knives, axes, hammers, a balaclava, facemasks, overalls and clingfilm from Amazon and homeware store The Range.
His mother had become increasingly concerned by his behaviour. On October 17 – four days after he turned 18 – she messaged a social worker and friends, stating that he had bought a knife and hammer. "Why?? What does he need these for? Is he planning to hurt me, himself, what? Who? Why? FFS," she wrote in a note on her phone.
The Night of the Murder
On the night of the murder, Roberts taped himself saying: "This is Tristan Roberts. Tonight I'm going to be Alex and I'm going to murder my mother with a sledgehammer." After keeping her prisoner in her room for about four hours, he cynically convinced her to leave the house under the pretence that she could have her injuries treated.
Instead, he tricked her into taking a "short cut" through Morfa nature reserve where he took the sledgehammer from his rucksack and began repeatedly attacking his screaming mother. Ms Shellis, a teaching assistant at Rhyl High School, was discovered with severe head injuries by walkers the next morning.
Aftermath and Investigation
Roberts returned home alone at 5.35am before leaving again 50 minutes later, swinging a carrier bag thought to have contained bleach to clean the murder scene. He then logged onto Discord and "boasted" about the killing, referencing the terrible injuries he had inflicted.
Police arrested the teenager at the family home, where he had barricaded himself into his bedroom. When officers arrived, he calmly asked: "Is the body you found my mother?" Detectives later found CCTV footage showing the pair walking over a railway crossing towards the nature reserve with Roberts carrying a rucksack containing the murder weapon.
Family Impact and Psychiatric Assessment
Powerful victim impact statements were read in court by Ms Shellis's sister Sarah Gunther and her surviving son Ethan. Ethan said their mother had done "everything" for Tristan throughout his life and had "put up with more than any mum should have." He added that his brother's crimes had "destroyed our family" and that he never wanted to see him again.
A psychiatric report found "no credible evidence of any other form of mental disorder" beyond Roberts's autism and ADHD. The report concluded that "his conditions did not impair his ability to understand his actions, form a rational judgment or exercise self control at all, let alone substantially."
Ms Gunther said her sister had been failed by agencies which should have helped the family and called for them to be held "accountable," adding that it was a tragedy that "could have been avoided." A safeguarding review is likely to take place following the case.
