Son's Twisted Recording Reveals Mum's Final Hours in Hammer Murder Horror
In a case that has shocked the nation, the agonising final hours of devoted mother Angela Shellis have been revealed through a sickening audio recording made by her own son, Tristan Roberts, 18, as he tortured her to death. Roberts meticulously planned the brutal murder over weeks, immersing himself in a toxic online world of violence and misogyny, before carrying out the attack in Prestatyn, North Wales.
Planned Murder on Discord with AI Chatbot Advice
Tristan Roberts, diagnosed with autism and ADHD, compared himself to fictional psychopaths like Patrick Bateman from American Psycho and the TV character Dexter as he plotted his mother's murder on the gaming messaging app Discord. He spewed vile bigoted rants, professing his hatred of women, and made no secret of his murderous desires. In one explicit post, he boasted: "I can kill her bare-handed. I only want to make it brutal and make sure I don't mess up with an axe."
Roberts' plans for "revenge" against his mother, a respected teacher remembered as "a mum who never gave up," began at least three weeks before the attack. After seeking advice from an AI chatbot on weapons for a "non-experienced" killer, pretending to be writing a book when his queries were rejected, he purchased a hammer from Amazon and a knife from The Range. A cashier was so concerned they kept a copy of the receipt.
Family Concerns and the Fatal Assault
Angela Shellis was alarmed by her son's purchases, writing in her notes app: "Why?? What does he need these for? Is he planning to hurt me, himself, what? Who? Why? FFS." Her elder son, Ethan, away at university, had wireless-enabled cameras fitted in the family home due to fears about his brother's behaviour. Tragically, by this time, Roberts' diabolical plan was already underway.
On October 23 last year, Roberts put his twisted fantasies into action, recording the entire four-hour ordeal on a dictaphone. Angela, on crutches with a leg injury, was especially vulnerable as the assault began at their family home around 11 pm. Roberts struck her with a hammer and strangled her, stating in the recording: "This is the moment - we are doing it - we are going to hit her with a sledgehammer." Angela could be heard pleading with him to call 999, but he showed no mercy.
Chilling Role Play and Fatal Blow
Around 3.30 am on October 24, Roberts walked Angela to the local Morfa nature reserve, leading her through a residential area and a railway line. In an isolated spot, he told her to sit on a bench and began speaking in an American accent, believed to be part of a sick role play. Angela pleaded for her life as he callously recorded her distress. Eventually, her cries fell silent when Roberts delivered a fatal hammer blow to her head, shattering her skull and causing soft tissue damage. Home Office pathologist Dr Brian Rodgers later determined death was due to severe blunt force injury.
After the murder, Roberts said on the recording: "Oh god, that was terrifying - that felt so crazy" before complaining about his hand hurting. He declared, "I just killed her" and added, "Job's done." He dragged her body 100 metres into undergrowth, leaving it there while sending messages in her name to cover his tracks.
Arrest and Court Sentencing
Upon returning home, Roberts logged into Discord under the username 'tonight's the night' and bragged about the murder in graphic detail. Angela's body was discovered later that day, and Roberts was quickly identified as a suspect, arrested at his home, and charged with murder four days later. He pleaded guilty at Mold Crown Court last month.
Jailing Roberts this week, His Honour Judge Rowlands noted the recording might have been a sick trophy and described it as a "truly awful way for anyone to die." He told Roberts: "It is clear to me that you both looked forward to inflicting pain and ultimately death upon your mother and that, in recording what you did on a dictaphone over several hours, you enjoyed what you were doing, exercising control over your mother in her last hours, no doubt revelling in what you did as you attacked her, ignoring her pleas for you to stop and to obtain assistance. She must have been truly terrified in these the last minutes of her life."
Background and Aftermath
In a note written on his laptop a week before the murder, Roberts laid out his warped desire for 'vengeance', signing off as 'Alex' and wallowing in self-pity about his life. However, Angela's love for her sons was evident; one of her social media posts read: "Home is where my boys are. I will never understand how some parents live every day knowing they have a child out there they rarely bother about and just get on with their life without a care in the world."
This case highlights the dangers of online radicalisation and mental health issues, with Roberts' actions stemming from a toxic blend of autism, ADHD, and exposure to violent content. The recording, deemed too distressing to play in court, serves as a harrowing testament to the brutality of the crime.
