Barry News

Barry man, 30, found guilty of murder

By Sharon Harris

7:50am Thursday 11th March 2010

A BARRY man was found guilty of murdering a dad-of-three from the town, by a jury at Cardiff Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday).

John Austin Chivers, aged 30, was today sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term, of 18 years.

He stabbed 41-year-old Paul 'Jona' Jones twice in the heart after they began fighting in Columbus Close, Barry, at around 10pm on August 3 last year.

The two had been drinking in the King William IV pub, known locally as the Billy, with Jones' friend Christopher Painting and Chivers' girlfriend Dominique Fitzgerald, but Ms Fitzgerald left following an argument, and Jones gave Chivers a lift home.

The court heard how Chivers, who denied murder, claimed Jona attacked him and demanded to be let into the house after he (Chivers) had pushed Dominque to the ground outside.

He told the court he had returned to the house and selected the largest kitchen knife because he wanted to 'frighten' Jona, who had taken a wheelbrace from his car, and 'back him off'.

Chivers had told the court he had jabbed the knife towards Jona at the top of the driveway, but did not realise the blade had made contact and on the second occasion, further on in the road, he had stumbled while holding the knife.

But the jury took just a few hours yesterday to unanimously return a guilty verdict on Chivers, of Cardiff Road, who was sentenced on Thursday morning by Judge Wyn Williams.

At the time of the stabbing, Chivers was on a suspended sentence for harassment and threatening behaviour.

Speaking to the Barry & District News after the verdict, family members of Paul Jones – who has two teenage daughters and a son born on New Year's Day after he died – said: "John Chivers is a cold-blooded, callous murderer.

"He has no respect for anyone and today justice has shown him that this won't be tolerated any longer.

"The lives affected and destroyed by this fiend are incalculable. We, Paul's family and his children, will endure a lifetime of pain and loss at the hands of this monster.

"There is no reprieve for good behaviour for us, or limit to our sentences.

"Regardless of the sentence he serves, it can never be enough to recompense the loss Paul's three children will endure – one of whom, his first and only son, will never have the opportunity to meet his father.

"The only consolation we as a family can draw from this horror is that for a set time at least, this beast is prevented from walking in our midst, and people will be safe from the violence he has rained down on our town."

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