Holly Sanchez Obituary, – A court has been informed that a mother-of-five from Sussex was killed by her abusive boyfriend while he was out on bail. Holly Sanchez, 32, was discovered dead in a bungalow in Crawley, West Sussex, on May 13, 2023.
The jury learned that Ryan Evans, 31, had been arrested multiple times but denied any abuse towards her. Evans, who is from Crawley, is currently on trial at Brighton Crown Court and denies the murder of Ms. Sanchez. According to the court, at the time of her death, Evans was on bail with conditions that prohibited him from contacting Ms. Sanchez. The prosecutor informed the jury that Ms. Sanchez had multiple injuries and a severely bruised and swollen face. He stated that during their brief time together, Evans regularly subjected her to domestic violence, physically assaulting and injuring her.
The post-mortem examination revealed chest injuries and damage to her left lung, which led to pneumonia and ultimately caused her death. A medical expert testified that her significant brain injury was comparable to those sustained in car accidents or falls from great heights. In an interview with the police on April 18, Ms. Sanchez expressed fear that Evans would kill her, but she retracted her statement the following day. A friend of Evans, Adam Roberts, informed the police that he witnessed Evans violently attacking Ms. Sanchez the day before her death, punching her and stomping on her head.
The jury also saw footage from a neighbor’s doorbell camera, which captured Evans dragging Ms. Sanchez by her hair through the street. Evans claimed that on May 13, when he was arrested, Ms. Sanchez had arrived at his home two days earlier with a bleeding nose and mouth. He stated that she was alive when he went to sleep on the sofa, but he discovered her unresponsive when he woke up and immediately called the police. Evans also denies charges of unlawful wounding, assault, and controlling and coercive behavior. The trial is ongoing.
