The stepmother of a man who was beaten to death in front of his family has expressed her desire to meet with his killers in prison to gain an understanding of why he was killed. Carl Dyche was murdered in December 2021, and Joan Dyche said that her stepson was someone who “got the most out of every day that he could.” A popular local builder who was fair, helpful, and happy, Carl was described as “a workaholic like his dad.” He would spend his holidays at music festivals and was known for putting up stages at Glastonbury.
At the time of the incident, Carl was in the garden of his property in Kington when the killers carried out a brutal assault, with his wife and stepson attempting to intervene. Despite their efforts, Mr. Dyche suffered a stroke and blood clot to the brain and died within a few days. Speaking to the BBC, Joan Dyche expressed her confusion and frustration at not understanding why her stepson was killed and the nature of the argument that preceded his death.
Ms. Dyche has attempted to engage in a restorative justice process where victims of crime are brought together with those responsible to find ways to move forward constructively. However, she hit a “brick wall” as one of the jailed men, Luke Bellis, is not communicating in prison. Despite this, Ms. Dyche has persisted in her quest for answers, stating that she still wants to know why her stepson was killed and called for changes in the system. She further added that Bellis was being protected, but questioned who was protecting her.
A spokesperson for the Prison Service highlighted that they support restorative justice as a means of helping victims recover, reduce reoffending and understand why a crime was committed. However, safety and welfare are top priorities, especially for serious cases such as murder. Restorative justice would have to be carefully assessed and both the victims and offenders would have to consent. In circumstances such as murder, restorative justice would be only possible when officials could be confident that no further harm would be carried out
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