Devon & Cornwall Police News site

A man has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of the murder of his brother in the kitchen of their mother’s home near Redruth.

Daniel Lynch, 39, killed Shane Lynch, aged 39 at the time, at the family home in Bosmeor Park in Illogan Highway overnight between Monday 11 November and Tuesday 12 November 2024.

Judge Simon Carr described the murder as “sustained and brutal” and “involving at least one weapon”.

Daniel Lynch was jailed for life to serve a minimum of 20 years by Judge Carr at Truro Crown Court on Tuesday 26 August following a trial.

Shane Lynch, from Truro, died as a result of repeated blows to the head with a weapon of some sort – most likely a hammer.

During the trial the court heard how Daniel Lynch and Shane had an ‘up and down relationship’ and that Daniel was upset with Shane over the days prior to the murder over a tablet believed stolen by Shane, although this issue was considered resolved.

Daniel Lynch spent the day [11 November] drinking and trying to obtain drugs. This behaviour concerned his partner with whom he argued during the evening.

Daniel Lynch continued to act in an erratic manner, making accusations towards both Shane and his partner.

At this point Daniel Lynch left the house but missed his bus home. He returned to the property and continued drinking.

In the hours that followed a person in similar clothes to those Daniel Lynch had been wearing earlier in the day could be seen on CCTV out and about in the local area. He left the house with a rucksack and returned without one. The prosecution said this was when Daniel Lynch disposed of Shane’s phone and other evidence.

It was likely Shane had been killed by 1.30am. By 1.46am, Shane’s phone was no longer connecting to the mast that connected to the address. Cellular data showed that Shane’s phone was taken away from the property before completely disconnecting from the network.

The first sighting of Daniel Lynch on 12 November at around 3.45am was when he was found on the living room sofa by Daniel and Shane’s half-brother who had come downstairs to reconnect the Wi-Fi. Shane’s body was located on the kitchen floor surrounded by blood after Daniel Lynch had told his half-brother that Shane was in there asleep.

Paramedics attended after being called by Shane and Daniel’s mother and Shane was pronounced deceased shortly after. Officers were called by ambulance service personnel due to their suspicion that accounts provided by those present were not consistent with Shane’s injuries.

Daniel Lynch had by this point changed his clothing from what he was seen wearing earlier in the day.  

His hoodie was found with Shane’s blood on it seemingly hidden in the kitchen, and his jacket and polo shirt were found washed in the washing machine. His jeans have never been recovered.

Pictures of Shane lying unresponsive on the kitchen floor prior to paramedics’ arrival were found on Daniel Lynch’s phone.

A forensic post-mortem revealed that Shane died as a result of head and facial injuries.

An examination of the house found diluted blood in the sink, appearing to show that somebody had attempted to clean a blood-stained object or themselves in the sink.

Underneath and next to Shane’s body a knife blade that had been broken in two was recovered. Blood on the knife belonged to Shane.

A later crime scene search located two items of bloodstained clothing hidden in the kitchen. Both the hoodie believed to belong to Daniel Lynch and a pair of joggers contained DNA belonging to both Shane and Daniel.

In police interview Daniel Lynch told officers he had not changed his clothing from the day before, even though evidence showed him wearing different clothing on 11 November compared to when he was arrested early the following day. He denied murdering his brother or attacking him in any way.

Daniel Lynch claimed that the murder must have been carried out by a third party who entered the house while he was asleep on the sofa only a few metres away. This version of events was ultimately dismissed by the jury.

Sentencing, Judge Carr said that what exactly happened that night, Daniel Lynch only knows, but it is clear there was clearly an argument or disagreement of some kind.

He said: “Armed with a weapon or weapons you launched a sustained, frenzied and brutal attack which included multiple blows to the head with force.”

Judge Carr added that for many of the blows Shane Lynch was on the ground, and that Daniel Lynch made significant attempts to clear up the scene and destroy evidence.

The court also heard the “terrible sense of loss” felt by others following Shane’s death, particularly his 16-year-old daughter with whom Shane enjoyed a close relationship.

Detective Inspector Rob Smith, from the Devon & Cornwall Police Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “There are only two men who truly know what happened in the property that night and one of them is sadly no longer with us.

“A huge amount of work has gone into this investigation to establish the circumstances that lead to Shane Lynch’s death.

“What is not in doubt is that Shane Lynch was brutally murdered by his own brother Daniel within their mother’s home. The exact reasons Daniel launched such a violent and brutal attack on his brother, we will likely never know.

“Daniel Lynch continued to deny he was responsible for the murder despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

“We welcome the verdict and sentence passed by the court. We hope all those involved in this case are able to move on with their lives.”