Vernon Reynolds

Timeline

• News Year’s Eve 1991 — Vernon Reynolds arrived at his estranged wife’s family celebration at Clovelly House in Llandudno and stabbed people before fleeing in his taxi/minicab and crashing head-on into another car.
• 12:00 a.m. (midnight, News Year’s Eve 1991) — The “midnight on New Year’s Eve” car crash occurred, killing Vernon Reynolds and three young men.

Background

Vernon Reynolds was a 43-year-old taxi driver. He ran the Clovelly House Hotel in Llandudno with Denise Reynolds for six years. They had parted two weeks earlier, and his wife had thrown him out and had a boyfriend. Friends said he had been distressed because his wife threw him out two weeks ago and had a boyfriend. A fellow taxi driver said: “He was a fairly quiet character. His wife had gone off with someone else and made it clear Vernon wasn’t welcome in his own home, I would never have thought he would do anything like this. But it had hit him terribly hard.”

The offence

Vernon Reynolds arrived at his wife’s family celebration in Llandudno, North Wales, at 11:00 a.m. on News Year’s Eve 1991. His estranged wife was holding a party for the rest of the family. After he entered the house, his wife told him to “fuck off”. When he did not leave, he was hassled by his own children to leave. He then went into the kitchen and grabbed a knife.

Reynolds stabbed his estranged wife Denise several times. Denise tried to escape by staggering to the doorstep of a nearby house where she was knifed again. He followed her, stabbing anyone who stood in his way, including his children, his in-laws, and his brothers and sisters. He then returned to Denise again and killed her with “a few deep stabs” before walking back through the house ignoring the others.

He got into his car and fled the scene. Police were considering the possibility that 44 year-old Reynolds deliberately crashed his car into the other vehicle to end his life. Sixteen people, including seven children, were at the party. Witnesses reported that children screamed and tried to hide as he burst in and slashed at them with a knife.

Denise’s last words whispered to an ambulanceman were: “Do you think I am going to die?”

Investigation

Arrest

No arrest was recorded; Reynolds died in the car crash.

Outcome

Reynolds fled in his Marina and drove 10 miles out of the town along a country road in the Conwy Valley. Coming in the other direction were three young friends in a Mini. Reynolds crashed head-on into them at Taly-Cafn, Gwynedd. All four men died instantly.

The three men in the Mini were:

• Robert Jones, 24, of Park Road, Deganwy
• Arwyn Roberts, 21, of Victoria Crescent, Llandudno Junction
• Brynley Roberts, 18-year-old, of Penrhynside

Reynolds and Denise were described as running the Clovelly House Hotel in Llandudno for six years. He died before rescue teams could cut him from the wreckage.

An ambulanceman said: “They were innocent lads going home from a party.”

Sentencing

No sentencing occurred because Vernon Reynolds died.

Aftermath

Five people were reported injured at the party. The injured were Mrs Reynolds sister and brother-in-law Michelle and Kenneth Owen, both 32, of Colindale, London; her father Victor Fryer, 60, and mother Ada, 59, also of Colindale; and her other sister Mrs Pauline Nash of Dunstable, Bedfordshire. Mrs Nash was critical after emergency surgery at Gwynedd Hospital Bangor. Mr Fryer was “serious” in another hospital.

Neighbour Miss Lisa Rayner, 22, said: “The children all came out of the hotel screaming and running down the road. ” “A woman asked me to phone the police. Blood was pouring from her.”

Other details

Reynolds was described as wounded by a head-on collision that caused a “head on collision, and also causing the deaths of the three occupants of the other car - all teenagers in a hurry to get to a party at a mates place.” Another account described Reynolds as still alive when a rescue team arrived, but he died before they were able to cut him from the wreckage. The incident was described as beginning with Reynolds arriving at his wife’s family celebration in Llandudno, North Wales, and continuing with the car crash at Taly-Cafn, Gwynedd.