Man guilty of murder and abuse while on bail

Holly Sanchez was found dead in May last year

A man has been found guilty of murdering a mother-of-five while on police bail and abusing her in the lead-up to her death.

Ryan Evans, 31, was on bail conditions which said he must not contact Holly Sanchez, 32, when she was found dead on his lounge floor in Oates Walk, Crawley, on 13 May 2023.

Evans was found guilty of murder, one count of unlawful wounding, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, plus controlling and coercive behaviour at Brighton Crown Court.

He was found not guilty of a further count of unlawful wounding.

During the trial, prosecutor Ryan Richter said: "In the short time they were together, [he] regularly subjected her to domestic violence, beating her and hurting her.

“The prosecution maintains that he caused the serious injuries which led to her death."

Ryan Evans will be sentenced on 13 September

Mr Richter said it was immediately apparent to police who found Ms Sanchez that she had multiple injuries, with a swollen face “completely discoloured by bruising”.

Neuropathology expert Prof Al-Sarraj said her brain injury was similar to those in car crashes and falls from a significant height.

Jurors heard a post-mortem examination showed chest injuries and damage to Ms Sanchez's left lung that caused pneumonia and led to her death.

Neighbours called police on several occasions because of incidents between Evans and Ms Sanchez, the court heard.

At one point, a doorbell camera showed Evans dragging her by the hair through the street.

Abuse allegations

Ms Sanchez told officers about the abuse in April 2023 but said she was scared he would kill her if he found out she had spoken to police, the court was told.

Evans was arrested over the abuse allegations on 26 April, which he denied.

After his arrest on the day of Ms Sanchez's death, Evans told police she had turned up two days before, bleeding from her nose and mouth, with what looked like "sunburn" on her face.

He told police she got worse as the days went on, but nothing happened at the house.

Police found Holly Sanchez dead at a bungalow in Oates Walk, Crawley, on 13 May 2023

After the hearing, an Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) spokesman said: “Officers came into contact with Holly on multiple occasions between March and May 2023 after concerned members of the public called police.

“We found no indication any officers may have breached police professional standards.

“We did identify learning recommendations relating to the force’s policies on policing domestic violence."

New system

Sussex Police said those recommendations included reviewing risk assessments, improving information sharing, and prioritising the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme known as Clare’s Law.

The scheme allows people to request information on a partner's criminal history to see if they are at risk of abuse.

Sussex Police said it had created a new process to speed up the amount of time to reply to requests.

A spokesman said the force had dramatically improved its service to potential victims of domestic abuse with the new system.

“The force has already started working with the IOPC and the Home Office to progress the learning recommendations identified," he added.

Evans will be sentenced on 13 September.