Tristan Roberts Sentenced to 22 Years for Brutal Murder of Mother Angela Shellis
When Ethan Roberts could not reach his mother on the morning of October 24, 2025, he immediately feared the worst. He had become so concerned about his younger brother Tristan's escalating behaviour that he installed wireless cameras in their family home before leaving for university. However, nothing could prepare him for the horror that unfolded overnight.
Fueled by a violent hatred towards women and after spending hours on controversial messaging apps, Tristan Roberts carried out his murderous plans, brutally killing their mother Angela Shellis. When she failed to answer her phone the next day, Ethan sent a desperate text message asking: 'Just call me for a second - so that I know you are alive.'
Posing as their mother, Tristan replied: 'I think I am alive [laughing emoji].' Ethan immediately knew the message was not from her.
Moving Victim Impact Statement Reveals Family's Anguish
In a powerful victim impact statement read at Mold Crown Court, where Tristan was jailed for 22 years, Ethan described how he 'knew from the messages that it wasn’t my mum.' He said: 'I was begging for her to call me and I knew, had it truly been her, that she would answer me in an instant.'
Ethan recounted: 'That day will forever remain a blur and I felt numb. As the news began to come out that a woman had been found I knew probably what had happened, but could not accept it was mum.'
Angela Shellis, 45, a teaching assistant described as a 'devoted' mother who 'fought tirelessly' for her younger son, was found with severe head injuries beside a footpath near a nature reserve in Prestatyn, North Wales, by walkers that morning.
Chilling Details of the Murder Emerge in Court
Tristan, who harboured a violent hatred of women, had kept his mother prisoner in her bedroom, recording her four-hour ordeal in audio too distressing to be played in court. He then lured her into woodland under the pretence of allowing her to get help, only to deliver fatal blows with a hammer purchased from Amazon, leaving her body in undergrowth.
Diagnosed with autism and ADHD, Roberts had spent hours daily in a toxic online world where he posted misogynistic messages and boasted of his intent to kill on a controversial chat forum linked to other murders. He had also asked an AI tool for tips on which weapon to use and how to clean up afterwards, with the AI suggesting a hammer would be best for 'a non-experienced killer.'
Tristan offered no explanation for the murder, responding 'no comment' in police interviews. However, the court heard he had become fixated on blaming his 'devoted' mother for his unhappiness.
Family's Heartbreaking Testimony
Ethan, who left the court in tears, said there was not a day that went by without him questioning why. He described his mother as patient with Tristan, saying she 'put up with so much from Tristan, and even then she still loved him.' He added: 'Why would he do that to her? All my mum ever did was love Tristan.'
Ms Shellis' sister Sarah Gunther addressed Tristan directly in court, telling him: 'The impact of your actions in taking Angela from us all, is something we now have to live with every single day.' She described how the family 'fought so hard to try and get you the help you needed,' adding: 'Angela especially never gave up on you.'
Tristan did not make eye contact during the hearing, staring straight ahead or casting his gaze downwards as the 'catastrophic' injuries he inflicted were detailed.
Broader Implications and Family's Future
Ethan has since withdrawn from university temporarily, feeling 'completely lost.' He said: 'She was the most important person in my life and now she’s gone. I don’t know how I can live my life without her.'
Mrs Gunther expressed hope that 'the services that also failed my sister and my nephew will be held accountable for this tragedy that I feel could have been avoided.'
The case highlights disturbing issues around online radicalisation, mental health support failures, and family violence, leaving a community in North Wales grappling with the aftermath of this horrific crime.
