THE brutal slaying of schoolgirl Billie-Jo Jenkins in 1997 is one of Britain’s most notorious unsolved murders.
Her foster father was convicted of the crime and spent six years behind bars before being acquitted.
Billie-Jo Jenkins’ foster father Siôn Jenkins was convicted of her murder in 1997 before being formally acquitted in 2005[/caption]
Billie-Jo was battered over the head with a tent peg on the patio of her seaside home[/caption]
Who is Siôn Jenkins?
Sion Jenkins was convicted of the murder of his foster daughter, Billie-Jo Jenkins in 1997.
The then-39-year-old was the headteacher-designate of William Parker Boys’ School in Hastings at the time.
Billie-Jo was battered over the head with a tent peg in their home in Hastings, East Sussex, on Saturday, February 15, 1997.
Sion said that he had found her in a pool of blood on returning back from a shopping trip.
His behaviour was said to have been erratic and he had microscopic blood spots on his clothing.
He has four daughters — Annie, Lottie, Esther and Maya — with his first wife Lois.
Imprisoned for Billie-Jo’s murder
In the 1998 trial, Sion was convicted of murdering his 13-year-old daughter Billie-Jo and was jailed for life.
However, he was acquitted after the jury failed to reach a final verdict after two retrials.
He served a total of six years in jail.
Acquittal
In 2005, Sion was formally acquitted and released from jail.
Sion was refused any compensation for his time in prison.
The former deputy headmaster had sought up to £500,000 in damages for the prison term he served, but the Ministry of Justice rejected his request after his case was assessed.
Although Jenkins believed he fitted the criteria for a payout, the compensation rules state that applicants for miscarriage of justice payouts must demonstrate that they are “clearly innocent”.
Where Siôn Jenkins is now
Siôn lives in Hampshire with his new wife, Tina.
I don’t want sympathy from anyone
Siôn Jenkins
He divorced his ex-wife Lois and married his current spouse in 2005.
Siôn studied criminology at Portsmouth university following his release.
He also stood as a Conservative Party candidate in local elections.
In 2010, Siôn told the Guardian: “I still dream about being in prison, and often find myself thinking about all that had happened.
“I don’t think I will ever be able to put what happened behind me.
“But I don’t want sympathy from anyone. Compared with many victims of miscarriages of justice, I have a good life.”
Murder on the Patio: Who Killed Billie-Jo?
Murder on the Patio: Who Killed Billie-Jo?, a documentary examining the unsolved case, will be broadcast on Channel 5.
It airs on Tuesday, October 29, 2024 at 10pm and will be repeated an hour later on Channel 5+1.
It investigates the reasons behind Billie-Jo’s foster father Siôn being convicted of the murder, only to be acquitted following a high-profile appeal and two retrials at the Old Bailey.
