Man who abused and murdered mother-of-five while on police bail jailed for life

A man who murdered a mother-of-five while on police bail and violently abused and controlled her in the lead-up to her death has been jailed for life.

Holly Sanchez, 32, was found dead at a bungalow in Oates Walk, Crawley, West Sussex, at about 9am on May 13 2023.

She died as a result of multiple injuries suffered during an abusive relationship with 31-year-old Ryan Evans.

Evans was arrested over allegations of abuse on April 26, which he denied.

He was on bail conditions which said he must not contact Ms Sanchez directly or indirectly, when she was found dead on the floor in his lounge.

In July, jurors at Brighton Crown Court unanimously found Evans guilty of murder, one count of unlawful wounding, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and controlling and coercive behaviour.

He was found not guilty of another count of unlawful wounding.

Evans appeared before Lewes Crown Court – sitting at Hove – on Friday, where he was sentenced to life and told he must serve a minimum of 23 years, minus time already spent on remand, Sussex Police said.

Two further people were arrested in connection with the investigation, but were released with no further action.

Sussex Police has been ordered to improve its handling of domestic violence cases by watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) after an investigation into the force’s contact with Ms Sanchez before the murder.

The court previously heard police were called out to incidents involving Ms Sanchez and Evans on four occasions in March and April, and Evans was arrested twice before his arrest on April 26.

The IOPC said the investigation found no breach of professional standards by individual police officers.

Detective Chief Inspector Kelly Lewis, the force tactical lead for domestic abuse, said: “We remain committed to ensuring victims of domestic abuse receive the support and safeguarding they need by working closely with our partners, and we continually review our performance and strive to improve wherever possible.

“We also work closely with the IOPC to achieve best practice, and have dramatically improved our processes to ensure disclosures are made faster. In some cases, responses to applications are being provided 75% more quickly than before the scheme was in place.”

The family of Ms Sanchez has issued the following statement: “Holly was a daughter, granddaughter, aunt, sister, and most importantly a mother. We miss Holly and her infectious laugh every day. She was taken from us and her children by a cruel and evil monster, and the sentencing reflects Evans’s brutal treatment of Holly over the last six weeks of her life.

“We would like to thank the investigation team and our family liaison officers for all of their help and support throughout one of the most traumatic years. We would appreciate space and privacy while we process the terrible things we have heard and seen while we have been at court.

“We hope that Holly’s case raises awareness of how quickly domestic violence can have fatal consequences. We hope that Holly’s story will reach victims of domestic violence that are too scared to speak out and ask for help. We also hope that it raises awareness to the families of those who are currently suffering abuse and we would encourage families to pay close attention to any small changes of behaviour by their loved ones.”

Jurors heard how neighbours called the police on several occasions because of incidents between Evans and Ms Sanchez.

On one occasion, a neighbour’s doorbell camera captured Evans dragging Ms Sanchez by the hair through the street, and another neighbour also saw Evans punching her in the face, calling her a “disgusting c***”, while she asked him to stop hurting her.

On April 18, Ms Sanchez told police during a 40-minute conversation about the abuse she suffered, and said she was scared he would kill her if he found out she had been talking to police, and had not “grassed” before.

The next day she called the police to retract what she said, the prosecutor told jurors, telling them she was an alcoholic and she remembered now that she had not been attacked, but had fallen out of a car.

Evans was arrested and bailed on April 26.

He denied the allegations, telling officers she was an alcoholic who fell over all the time.

Evans was arrested on the morning of May 13 and told police she had turned up at his home two days before her death, with what looked like “sunburn” on her face, and was bleeding from her nose and mouth, prosecutor Ryan Richter said.

The prosecutor added that Evans told police it had got worse as the days went on, but nothing happened at the house to contribute to her injuries.

Detective Superintendent Debbie White, the senior investigating officer, said: “Firstly, I’d like to commend Ms Sanchez’s family who have assisted us throughout this investigation and bravely stood before court to provide vital witness testimonies during the trial.

“They also had to hear the harrowing description of injuries inflicted on Ms Sanchez by Ryan Evans, which included causing significant hand and facial injuries. He also took financial advantage of her and made repeated threats of violence – before his offending escalated and ultimately led to her death in May 2023.

“No-one should ever have to endure a violent relationship, and that’s why we offer a Domestic Abuse Disclosure Scheme (DVDS) – known as Clare’s Law – where people can request information on their partner or ex-partner’s criminal history to see if they are at risk of domestic violence.

“It means more people are making informed decisions on their own safety much sooner, potentially saving lives.

“I’d also like to thank all other witnesses who came forward to provide evidence, which assisted in our investigation to bring this violent offender to justice.”