Man jailed for killing teen sister in holiday row
Amanda Selby was a "loving daughter and granddaughter", her family say
- Published
A man who choked his teenage sister to death after they had an argument while on holiday in north Wales has been jailed for five years.
Amanda Selby, 15, from Greater Manchester, died from crush injuries to her neck inflicted by her brother Matthew.
It happened at the Ty Mawr holiday park in Towyn, Conwy county, on 31 July 2021.
Mold Crown Court heard Selby, 20, had autism and mental health conditions that triggered the attack.
Selby, of Windermere Crescent, Ashton-under-Lyne, pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
The prosecution accepted the plea at a hearing in February 2021, after he had been due to stand trial for murder.
Amanda died after being “choked out” by Selby while they were at Ty Mawr holiday park.
They were on holiday there with their father Anthony.
The prosecution said the attack was sparked by a “trivial” incident involving Amanda, after she had been teased by her brother in the three-bedroom static caravan.
Matthew Selby was initially charged with murder, but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility
Prosecutor Jamie Baxter said Amanda threw a plug or charger at her brother, leading to the fatal attack.
Selby, then 19, pinned his sister face down on the floor and choked her in a headlock.
Despite the best efforts of their father, he was unable to pull Selby off his sister.
The court heard Amanda told her father: “Tell mum I love her."
She lost consciousness shortly after and stopped breathing, and it was only then that Selby got off her.
Amanda’s father made frantic efforts to turn his daughter over and revive her, but was unable to move her in the confined space.
Emergency services were called but it was too late to save her.
'Catastrophic loss of temper'
During his sentencing on Friday, the court was told Selby had been diagnosed as on the autistic spectrum.
Psychiatric reports also found he had a condition known as intermittent explosive disorder and a depressive disorder.
The court accepted that these conditions were responsible for him being unable to control violent outbursts.
Judge Rhys Rowlands told Selby his conditions “substantially impaired your control” and had led to a “catastrophic loss of temper”.
He said Amanda was “killed at the age of 15 by her own brother on what should have been a very happy holiday”.
He added: “The family have been shattered by what happened that day.”
Judge Rowlands said Amanda had her “whole life ahead of her”.
He imposed a five-year custodial sentence and an additional five-year extended licence to be imposed on Selby upon his release.