Tri-Service

Life Sentence For Man Who Killed Young Soldier

A man who boasted of being the hardest man in Brecon has been given a life sentence for the murder of a young soldier in what the judge called a “sustained, savage and senseless attack”.

Amateur boxer Jake Valley must serve a minimum of 16 years in prison for killing 20-year-old Private Matthew Boyd in the early hours of May 8.

He had been convicted at Cardiff Crown Court, last week.

Valley had claimed he was defending himself but the jury found that he was the aggressor in the incident which ended with the death of the soldier from the Royal Gibraltar Regiment.

Private Boyd's family said that his death had created a "void that will never be filled"

His 10-year-old sister Katie wrote Matthew a letter, which was read during sentencing, saying "you're in heaven now where no one can hurt you.

His mother said that Valley had "destroyed a family".

The soldier was found injured and unconscious on Lion Street after a night out in the market town in May.

He was taken by ambulance to hospital but later died.

Addressing Valley, Mr Justice Lewis said that he was "ready for trouble" and had followed Private Boyd as he left a bar, before attacking him in an act caught on CCTV:

“During those 47 seconds you punched Matthew repeatedly. You hit him at least twice and then he fell to the ground. When he was on the ground you punched him repeatedly time and time again.

“It was a sustained, savage and senseless attack. You dragged his body and left him there to die.

“You have shown no remorse for your actions then and it is in my view you have shown no remorse since.”

After Valley was convicted the soldier's family released a statement saying:

"Matthew was full of life. He was loving, caring and loyal. He was always playing jokes on his peers and family, and always brought smiles to our faces. He would walk into a room and instantly brighten us up by playing a joke on us. He could make a joke from anything, he was witty and light-hearted."

"He was a popular boy and loved his family and friends. He also loved music, and would regularly be getting on with things with his earphones on listening to music. He loved to travel and enjoyed gardening. Even when he was away he would still be in touch with his family multiple times a week."

"Matthew was a good son and friend with a brilliant outlook on life; he did not deserve to be taken from us in this manner. He was born prematurely, and has now been taken from us prematurely, in the blink of an eye without warning."