Jamie Perkins: Man found dead in river was 'unlawfully killed'

A man whose body was found in a stream in Rhondda Cynon Taf was unlawfully killed, a coroner has found.

The body of Jamie Perkins was found partially submerged in a stream in Gilfach Goch in 2017, about two weeks after he had last been seen.

Coroner Graeme Hughes said that on the balance of probabilities, Mr Perkins had been "assaulted elsewhere" and the assailants had "concealed the body".

Mr Hughes said it was not possible to say who had inflicted the injuries.

Mr Perkins had fractures to his skull, neck injuries consistent with strangulation or being held in a head lock, facial injuries and broken ribs.

Mr Hughes, senior coroner for south Wales, said his injuries were consistent with being hit with a "wheel brace," and the neck injuries were "likely to have been caused by the deliberate application of pressure to the neck".

After Mr Perkins died, the assailants concealed the body in an area known as Bog Lane, the inquest in Pontypridd heard on Friday.

Mr Perkins was a regular drug taker who had been staying in ex-offender accommodation at the time of his death after recently being released from prison.

Arrests were made by South Wales Police, but no-one has been convicted of killing him and the murder remains unsolved despite a major inquiry and the offer of a £10,000 reward.

CCTV footage totalling 188 days and 19 hours in length was watched to try and establish what happened to Mr Perkins.

The inquest heard Mr Perkins' body was found by a friend who was out walking with his family.

The inquest has heard evidence from some of those who were arrested, including Sian Thomas and Richard Roberts.

They were reminded during the course of the hearing that they did not have to answer questions that could incriminate them.

Ms Thomas told the coroner she knew nothing about what had happened to Mr Perkins and had no involvement in his death.

But the inquest heard Ms Thomas had spoken to a friend about an incident during which her partner, Carl Webber, had Mr Perkins in a head lock and made Ms Thomas hit him over the head with a wheel brace.

The coroner said that although it was "second-hand evidence at best," it bore a "striking resemblance" to violent acts carried out on Ms Thomas by Mr Webber in the past.

He said that despite the "spectre of suspicion," there was insufficient evidence for him to make findings that the pair were involved in the assault that led to Mr Perkins' death.

Mr Webber, who knew Mr Perkins from Parc Prison in Bridgend where they had both served sentences, had denied finding Mr Perkins going through his drawers trying to steal drugs from him.

Another of those arrested, Richards Roberts, said he had taken Mr Perkins back to the hotel room where he was staying after a gathering at the home of Ms Thomas and Mr Webber on 8 of October.

At the time, he said Mr Perkins was "out of his head" after taking amphetamine.

The coroner said claims this was the last time they had seen Mr Perkins were "lacking in credibility and accuracy".

Two others were also arrested. Brian Rees has since died, and Hayley Selby was not well enough to give evidence at the inquest.

The coroner said: "Richard Roberts, Carl Webber and Sian Thomas likely possessed evidence as to how Jamie met his death and the veil of suspicion surrounding their likely involvement was in no way lifted by their evidence to me."

He said their evidence was "at best equivocal or evasive and at worst materially inaccurate".

Mr Roberts, Mr Webber and Ms Thomas were not at the coroner's court to hear the conclusions.

Mr Hughes expressed his condolences to Mr Perkins' family and thanked all those who had assisted with his investigation.