Natasha Flynn-Farrell watched on in horror through doorbell camera footage as her mum’s house was broken into by complete stranger, Dean Mears, who was high on ketamine
A traumatic moment captured on a doorbell camera will forever be etched in the mind of a grieving daughter. Natasha Flynn-Farrell was forced to helplessly watch on in horror as her mother’s killer, Dean Mears, entered her home – a devastating moment that would change her life forever.
Cathy Flynn, 69, who was known to be a “mum to anyone who needed her,” was stamped on multiple times in her own home in Rhyl, North Wales, by complete Mears on October 24 last year. She died in hospital the following day.
Mears, 35, high on ketamine, smashed through the window of her home, before launching a violent attack on her. Mrs Flynn, who lived alone on Cefndy Road and had health and mobility issues, was dragged from her bed before Mears launched his “savage” attack. Less than two minutes later, he jumped out of the ground floor window and fled the scene, leaving Cathy for dead on her bedroom floor, North Wales Live reports.
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Mrs Flynn’s daughter Natasha Flynn-Farrell was alerted to the horrific incident when an alert came through to her phone from her mother’s doorbell camera. She could only watch on helplessly as Mears launched his “merciless” attack. Virtually every bone in Cathy Flynn’s face was broken.
The footage records 15 thuds after former scaffolder Mears, smashes a window and runs upstairs past a stairlift before dragging Mrs Flynn from her bed by the ankle and wrist. Less than two minutes later, he jumped out of the ground floor window and fled the scene.
Mears ran to different locations in Rhyl, breaking into other homes and removing his blood-stained clothes. In court, Mears admitted killing Mrs Flynn, but denied murder.
A jury saw him for the cold-blooded killer he was on that night and convicted him of murder following a nine-day trial at Caernarfon Crown Court. On Friday, June 20, he was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 28 years (minus time spent on remand).
A judge at Caernarfon Crown Court said Mears had launched a “merciless” and “savage” onslaught as he demanded keys five times before leaving his victim for dead. The judge called it an “explosive and cowardly attack of quite unspeakable ferocity and cruelty”. But he also focused on her family – and the horrifying doorbell camera footage.
The judge said: “It’s hard to conceive of anything worse than the ordeal that Natasha was put through and the wider family (when considering what happened) to a much-loved mother and grandmother.”
Unwilling to let her grief overwhelm her ability to fight for justice for her mother, Natasha gave a heartwrenching victim impact statement in person from the witness box at Caernarfon Crown Court, with her siblings’ statements read out by the prosecutor.
“How could you do what you did to my Queen, my Mum?” Natasha said. She said his stamps turned her mum’s brain to “mush” and she was “weeping blood”.
She added: “You have snatched away her life with no care, sympathy, empathy, consideration, remorse, not said why this happened and have chosen to say nothing. You should hang your head in shame.
“You, Dean Mears, caused havoc in my brain. I’ve pushed people away and felt isolated. I hope I can (one day) lay my head on my pillow without thinking of 24 October. You are nothing but a coward.”
After the sentencing, Cathy’s three children, Natasha, Catherine and Michael, shared a joint tribute. “We miss our mum’s beautiful face and smile, her kind heart and words,” they said.
“She was a mum to anyone who needed her, she was the glue in our family. She might have been frail with poor mobility, but she always had time to listen and put the kettle on for a chat, to let anyone in and make them feel better.
“She loved it most when everyone was together and loved all her children and grandchildren more than anything else. Anyone who knew her said she always had a smile on her face. We will never again get a call, hug, kiss, or have another conversation with our mum, our queenie.
“We weren’t ready to lose one of the most important people in our entire lives our mum, she’s gone forever. We want to thank the jury for seeing through Mears’ lies and helping us achieve justice.
“We also appreciate the support we have received from North Wales Police, particularly from the family liaison officers throughout the investigation. Our family will become strong again and we will not allow this to consume our lives.
“Our mum deserves to be remembered for someone who adored her family; someone who lived their life with so much love, generosity and grace for others, not as a victim.” Speaking after sentencing, Superintendent Lee Boycott, of North Wales Police, said: “Cathy moved to Rhyl 25 years ago with her three children who cared for her later in life when her mobility suffered.
“On that fateful night in October last year, Cathy was innocently lying in bed when Mears, a stranger, smashed through her living room window. Her daughter, Natasha, watched in horror through the video doorbell as her mother’s address was broken into. This sickening memory will no doubt live in her mind for the rest of her life.
“He ran upstairs and attacked her in her bedroom where she should have been safe. She sadly died 24 hours later surrounded by her family.
“Mears was quickly arrested after leaving a trail of destruction in Rhyl that night following the murder, breaking into a number of homes and shedding his clothes in an attempt to cover his tracks.
“Mears’ cowardly actions continued when he showed no remorse and forced Cathy’s family to endure a nine-day trial, making them re-live their trauma and loss.
“I want to commend them today for the way they have conducted themselves throughout the judicial process and I hope today’s sentence gives them some solace and enables them to start to move forward with their lives.”