ANGELA Shellis’ son and sister have paid tribute to the “much-loved” Prestatyn mother after her other son, Tristan Roberts, was jailed for life for murdering her.
Roberts, 18, of Coniston Drive, was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 22-and-a-half years, at Mold Crown Court today (March 25).
The court heard Roberts had planned to kill his mother for several weeks prior to the fatal incident on October 24, 2025, and recorded the murder on a Dictaphone he had bought that week.
During today’s hearing, Ms Shellis’ sister, Sarah Gunther, read out a victim impact statement in front of Roberts, who sat impassively in the dock.
She told him: "Tristan, I wanted to look you in the eyes today and say this to you. The impact of your actions in taking Angela from us all is something we now have to live with every single day.
"As a close family, we all fought so hard to get you the help you needed. None of ever us gave up on you; Angela especially. It is incredibly hard to express our feelings towards you.
"When you took her life, you didn’t just take my sister, you took Ethan's mum. You shattered everything. Nothing has felt normal since that day.”
Mrs Gunther added that Ms Shellis, who worked as a teaching assistant at Rhyl High School, is “missed deeply by so many of the students and staff”.
She said she and her family “want her to be remembered as a mum who never gave up”.
Mrs Gunther said: "I hope, in time, services will be held accountable for this tragedy, which could have been avoided."
Ethan Roberts, Ms Shellis’ son, whose victim impact statement was read aloud by prosecutor Anna Pope KC, said his mother's “devastating” murder has caused him to feel "overwhelming guilt, anger, grief and depression".
While at university in October, he tried to contact Ms Shellis on the morning of October 24, concerned for her welfare, but Tristan Roberts replied to him on her phone, pretending to be her.
Ethan said he "knew something was wrong" that morning, but “couldn't comprehend the reality of what actually happened” at first.
He said: "I knew from the messages that it wasn’t my mum. That day will forever remain a blur. I felt numb.
"As the news began to come out that a woman had been found, I knew what had probably happened, but couldn't accept it was mum.
"I had to get onto public transport, and travel several hours, all the while completely alone and isolated, relying on family passing on information.
"I nearly broke down on the bus. The truth was unbearable.”
By the time he arrived back in North Wales, Ethan Roberts said he felt “completely destroyed”.
Tristan Roberts did not look at his brother or aunt from the dock during the reading of either of their statements.
Ethan Roberts added that her mother “never gave up” on his brother, and “would do anything for him”.
He said: "All my mum ever did was love Tristan. She’s the only person who’s done anything and everything for him.
"She tried to get help for him, and fought for him, but he never accepted. I'm angry, of course, but I also hope they can help him mentally.
"He needs mental help. Somehow, he's avoided or manipulated medical professionals.
"I don't know how he could do this to anyone, let alone the one person who would do absolutely anything for him. No-one else would put up with what she did from him."
Judge Rhys Rowlands, who condemned Roberts’ “callous” behaviour, told Mrs Gunther and Ethan Roberts: "Thank you very much for coming. You have shown great composure and restraint.
“I can't conceive what you've had to go through, and what you're still going through. The court can only extend its sympathies to you and the whole family."
Post-sentencing, Mrs Gunther shared a tribute to her late sister, which was read aloud outside court by a family liaison officer from North Wales Police.
It read: “I pay tribute to my beloved sister, Angela - a woman whose heart, strength, and spirit shaped the lives of everyone who knew her.
“She had so many amazing qualities, but one of the greatest was the way she devoted herself to her boys.
“She was a fantastic and fiercely supportive mum, the kind who never gave up, no matter how hard life became. She fought tirelessly for them, and her love for them was unbreakable, a source of strength that carried her and her boys through every challenge.
“To me, she wasn’t just my sister — she was my best friend. She was the person I could talk to about anything, the one who understood me without needing explanations.
“Her kindness was genuine, her laughter infectious, and her presence brought warmth into every room. She had a way of making people feel seen, valued, and loved, and that is something rare and precious.
“Losing her has left a space that can never truly be filled. She will be missed every single day by so many people whose lives she touched.
“But even though she is no longer with us in body, the love she gave and the memories she created will stay with us forever. Her spirit lives on in the laughter she shared, the strength she showed, and the love she poured into her family.
“As we move forward, let us carry her light with us. Let us honour her by remembering the joy she brought, the kindness she showed, and the courage she lived with.
“Angela may be gone from our sight, but she will never be gone from our hearts. Her echo will remain in every story we tell, every smile she inspired, and every moment we feel her presence guiding us still.”
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