Conner Marshall: Murdered teenager's mum in crime commissioner bid

Nadine Marshall: "We've had to see the justice system at its very worst and its very best"

The mother of murdered teenager Conner Marshall is attempting to stand as a candidate in May's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections.

Nadine Marshall's 18-year-old son was beaten to death at Trecco Bay in Porthcawl in March 2015.

His attacker, David Braddon, was on probation at the time and is now serving a life sentence.

Mrs Marshall is one of two contenders seeking the Plaid Cymru nomination for the South Wales PCC election.

• 'A stranger beat my son to death'

• Probation service 'weak and woeful' before murder

Barry town councillor and solicitor Dennis Clarke is the other person hoping to be selected as the party's candidate.

A Police and Crime Commissioner will be elected in all four Welsh police force areas on 7 May.

"I have the expertise and a huge understanding of how a crime can affect every single aspect of your life and how it can practically decimate a family," Mrs Marshall said.

She added that she wanted to "give people a voice and for them to understand that we each have a choice and we deserve to have safer communities".

"We deserve to have a justice system that is robust and is actually dealing with the vast array of crimes that are happening nowadays," she said.

Mrs Marshall said she would campaign for policing to be devolved and for Wales to have its own distinct legal jurisdiction.

Conner Marshall died following a brutal, unprovoked attack

Having previously worked in education before her son's death, Mrs Marshall rejected the suggestion her lack of political or policing experience was a problem in seeking to be elected as a PCC.

"I don't see that as a negative point at all," she said.

"The fact that I haven't got a legal background or policing background doesn't make me any less passionate and it makes me in fact more determined.

"We've had to see the justice system at its very worst and its very best as well and everything in between and I think that to have somebody who's realistic and in touch with what is actually happening has to be a positive."

Asked what her son would make of his mother's decision to put her name forward, Mrs Marshall joked that Conner would be embarrassed initially but that she knew he would be "very proud" of her.

South Wales Police's current PCC Alun Michael will seek re-election for Labour, while independent candidate Mike Baker intends to stand again.

The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats are still selecting candidates for the elections, though the Lib Dems may not stand in each area.