FAMILY TORN APART

7:02pm Thursday 30th October 2008

A CLOSE-knit family torn apart by the tragic deaths of two of their sons have welcomed the conviction of killer Jeremy Warren.

Warren punched Jason Peers with such force that he suffered a fatal fractured skull when his head smashed on the ground outside a Bournemouth pub.

He was remanded on bail to be sentenced next month and warned a prison sentence is “inevitable”.

The nine-day trial heard that Warren, who has served a previous prison term for wounding, hit Mr Peers, of Vanguard Road, Bournemouth, following an altercation in the outdoor smoking area at the Dolphin pub in Holdenhurst Road.

After punching him, Warren, who claimed he had acted in self-defence, got into a taxi and went into Bournemouth town centre with friends, leaving Mr Peers lying on the ground. After the verdict, Detective Sergeant Simon Huxter praised the way the Peers family conducted themselves throughout their ordeal.

“I would like to praise Jason’s family for the strength and resilience they have shown over the past few months,” he said.

“Jason’s death was tragic but the fact that his brother also lost his life in sudden circumstances has made it even more emotional. “I hope the family can take some comfort in this decision.”

Of Warren, he added: “It is apparent that though Warren never intended to kill Mr Peers the jury has agreed that he was responsible for his unlawful death.”

The death of the popular 36-year-old plasterer came eight years after his brother Mark was mown down in a hit-and-run crash in Winton.

After Warren was found guilty of manslaughter at Winchester Crown Court yesterday, their mum Pat said: “He is with his brother now and I feel like I can put them both to rest. We never got justice for Mark so I am pleased that the jury made the right decision.”

Their sister, Debbie Miles, added: “Justice has finally been done for both of them. The verdict is not going to bring Jason back but we would like to thank the jury and the police officers for all the work they have put into this.”

The six-man, six-woman jury took more than 11 hours to find Warren, 30, of Adeline Road, Boscombe, guilty of killing Mr Peers in the early hours of February 24 this year.

When the verdict was read out in court, Warren muttered: “Fair enough.”