Neighbours have spoken of their shock
Ryan Kelly (Image: The Mirror )
The two people killed in an explosion at a house in Bristol over the weekend have been named locally as Ryan Kelly and his former partner, Joanne Shaw.
Kelly, a convicted drug gang member, detonated an explosive device at a house on Sterncourt Road, Frenchay, where Joanne had been living, according to neighbours.
One neighbour, Stuart Blanchard, said: “It wasn’t Jo’s house, it was her parents’, she just lived there. She had split up with him, and I think she moved there to escape from him.
“I’d heard the shouting before while having breakfast, something like ‘get out, get out’, but there’s something every week in this area, so I didn’t go out.
“Then there was a bang, it shook my front door. But my friend heard kicking so went over. I thought it was a gas explosion so stayed inside.”
Stuart also told The Mirror: “I’ve heard it was a hand grenade. The police were here in seconds. They were called before the explosion.
“Another friend said he saw the police giving Jo CPR but when the explosives team arrived they had to leave in case there were more explosions. It was awful.”
Bomb disposal at Froomshaw Road in Frenchay(Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach Plc)
Stuart added: “It’s a shock for everyone because they were a really nice family, I cannot believe it has happened. They were not what you would consider would cause problems. She has been here quite a while, at least three years, I think she originally came here to get away from him.”
Michael Gwyther, who recognised Ryan Kelly, added: “I just heard a blast, I thought someone was trying to kick through the door. They have been quiet recently. It was frightening and it set the dog right off.”
Kwestan Ahmed added: “I heard screaming and shouting but I’m not sure if it was them or the police. I thought the bang was a car crash, I’d never never think it could be a bomb.”
John Sparkes described those living in the house as a “lovely family” who were “always out in the garden”.
Another described Joanne as an “amazing friend”, adding: “I can’t believe you were taken from us”.
Three other injured people, including a child, have since been released from hospital.
According to The Mirror, Kelly, of Speedwell Road, was jailed for five years in 2015 after admitting conspiracy to supply cocaine at a previous hearing before a trial.
He was part of a drugs gang that was masterminded by a then 78-year-old George Rogers from Bristol, who was battling cancer.
The trial at the time heard Rogers ran the plot from prison despite his illness and recruited a self-taught chemist to set up a lab and make the highly addictive drug crystal meth.
He formed a UK-wide team, which included Kelly, who obtained a kilo of cocaine and planned to sell it for £60,000 so they could buy chemicals and equipment from the Netherlands needed to manufacture the drugs.
Nine members of the gang, which also planned to make 20,000 ecstasy pills an hour, were all jailed following a three-month-long trial at Bristol Crown Court.