A CWMBRAN man has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 25 years after being found guilty of murdering his baby granddaughter.

Mark Jones, aged 45, formerly of Govilon Place, Pontnewydd, Cwmbran, but currently of no fixed abode, was found guilty today of the murder of Amelia Jones, aged five weeks.

He was also sentenced to four years imprisonment, to be served concurrently, for perverting the course of justice.

Statement from the family of Amelia Jones outside Newport Crown Court:

Amelia died on November 19 2012, two days after being rushed to hospital when she stopped breathing when Mark Jones was babysitting her while her mother Sarah Jones, also of Pontnewydd, went to the cinema.

A post mortem examination found she had suffered a skull fracture and eye injuries, and also had rib and leg fractures.

Speaking after the verdict, the parents of Amelia Jones said: “The last two years have been long and traumatic for our family, and we are relieved this day has finally come.

“No result delivered today is going to bring Amelia back, she is greatly missed by all of us.  Our children talk and ask questions about her every day.  She is, and always will be a massive part of our family and we hope she is never forgotten.

“To be let down in such an extreme way by a parent, someone you should be able to rely on and have complete trust in, only adds to making Amelia’s death all the more difficult to come to terms with.  Mark Jones is a deceitful and manipulative individual, and although it is little comfort after what we have been through, we are pleased to see justice being done today for our little girl.

“We would like to thank everyone who has supported us since Amelia’s death, as well as the police and CPS for their hard work, and the members of the jury for patience and diligence.”

Chief Inspector Leanne Brustad who led the investigation said: “Innocent baby Amelia was killed at just one month old.

“Her family have been through a traumatic time and have waited two and half years to see someone held responsible for Amelia’s death. Throughout they have shown great courage and dignity and I thank them, as well as the wider community, for their co-operation throughout the police investigation.

“No conviction will ever bring baby Amelia back but we hope her family have some sense of peace knowing the person responsible for her death is now behind bars.”

Leighton Mawer, senior crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service Wales, said: “Mark Jones presented an explanation for Amelia’s injuries that neither police nor prosecutors accepted. Our consideration of all the available evidence – including that of a number of medical experts – led us to the conclusion that he was indeed responsible for Amelia’s death. A jury has now reached the same conclusion.

“I would like to thank all those who have played a part in ensuring that this case has been dealt with fairly in court. In particular, all those who appeared as witnesses or provided statements to the police.

“The criminal trial process has undoubtedly been an extremely challenging time for Amelia’s family. We hope that its conclusion will provide some small measure of relief and comfort to them, as they continue to deal with the loss of Amelia.”