Man convicted over Tenerife murder

The family of a British grandmother who was beheaded by a Bulgarian drug addict in Tenerife has said a “catalogue of failings” by “a number of authorities” led to her death.

Homeless Deyan Deyanov (29), was found guilty today of murdering Jennifer Mills-Westley (60), in a frenzied knife attack on the holiday island on May 13th, 2011.

He repeatedly stabbed and beheaded his victim, originally from Norwich, who had been shopping in the popular resort of Los Cristianos.

Deyanov had denied murder and his defence argued he was not criminally responsible for his actions because he suffers acute paranoid schizophrenia.

In a statement read by her eldest daughter Sarah Mills-Westley after his conviction at the Provincial Court in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the family said the care of people like Deyanov should be taken more seriously.

They said: “Since the May 13 2011, Jennifer Mills-Westley has become known as the lady who was beheaded in Tenerife.

“The truth is she was our mum, our mentor and our best friend.

“She was a highly gifted, selfless person with so much love in her heart and who has been taken away from us in her prime. It’s hard to put into words the devastating impact that this preventable and needless act has had on us as a family - sadly mum was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

The family thanked the jury of nine for sitting through the harrowing trial.

They added: “But while today sees the conclusion of the legal process, lessons must be learnt from this tragic event to ensure justice is done for our mum and to ensure that no other family has to be subjected to this ordeal.

“It is clear to us that there has been a catalogue of failings - unfortunately it is now left to us to piece these together as we still have so many unanswered questions. We would like to make a plea that the care of people like Deyan Valentinov Deyanov is taken more seriously.

“He is a young man who has clearly been failed by a number of authorities, in the UK, Spain and most likely others.”

On the morning of the murder, in a Chinese-owned general store near the beach, Deyanov had walked into another shop and asked for a knife “this big” because he was going to kill someone.

At 10.30am, he went into the Mas Articulos Mejor Precios shop on Avenida Juan Carlos I, picked up a 22cm-long knife and plunged it repeatedly into Ms Mills-Westley’s neck.

He then walked out carrying her head, to the horror of onlookers, before being wrestled to the ground and arrested.

Living rough in Los Cristianos, the crack cocaine and LSD user was well-known to police on the island and had been arrested at least four times since January 2011 for violent offences.

A warrant for his arrest had been issued just three days before the killing but officers were unable to locate him.

He had previously been sectioned in the summer of 2010 under the Mental Health Act in Glan Clwyd Hospital, North Wales, and again at Tenerife’s La Candelaria hospital before being bailed in early February 2011.

The jury found that Deyanov was guilty of murder because he took his victim by surprise and she could not defend herself.

Even though he was suffering schizophrenia and his responsibility was diminished, in Spanish law he is guilty of murder.

Wearing an olive green hoodie, black tracksuit trousers and running shoes, Deyanov remained quiet and still as the verdict was read out.

Asked by magistrate Maria Jesus Garcia Sanchez if he had anything he wanted to say, he told his Bulgarian interpreter: “I am the the second reincarnation of Jesus Christ and I will bring the fire of the Holy Spirit to bear against this court.”

Prosecutor Angel Garcia Rodriguez asked for the maximum sentence of 20 years in a secure psychiatric ward to be imposed.

Francisco Beltran, for the defence, asked that his client receive the minimum sentence of 15 years.

Ms Mills-Westley’s relatives remained calm as the verdict was read out.

Younger daughter Samantha Mills-Westley (39), who lives in the Midi-Pyrenees region of France, wore sunglasses and cried before going into the court.

She was accompanied by sister Sarah (43), from Norwich, Sarah’s partner Brian Moore (41), the victim’s brother John Smith, 63, and sister-in-law, Julie Smith (62).

Sarah Mills-Westley said outside court that the family was disappointed by a lack of support from the Foreign Office and the MP in her mother’s hometown.

“Whilst today closes one chapter, we will have to live with the painful consequences for the rest of our lives,” she said.

“We ask that we are now granted privacy after an extremely difficult and emotional week.”

Asked if the family would talk to authorities in the UK to find out why Deyanov was released from hospital in Wales, she said: “We will be asking the Welsh Health Authority to conduct a full inquiry into what happened in particular around his treatment in the UK.”

Deyanov’s sentence will be announced in a written statement in the coming weeks.

PA