Where is Billie-Jo Jenkins’ foster father Siôn Jenkins now?
THE murder of schoolgirl Billie-Jo Jenkins in 1997 is one of Britain’s most notorious unsolved murders.
Here, we look at the life of her foster father, Sion, who was acquitted of her killing.
Who is Siôn Jenkins?
Sion Jenkins is a 63-year-old who was convicted of the murder of his foster daughter, Billie-Jo Jenkins in 1997.
However, he was subsequently cleared following two inconclusive retrials.
Billie-Jo was battered over the head with a tent peg in their home in Hastings, East Essex.
Sion said that he had found her in a pool of blood on returning back from a shopping trip.
His behaviour was said to have been erratic and he had microscopic blood spots on his clothing.
Where is Siôn Jenkins now?
Sion currently lives in Hampshire with his new wife.
He divorced his ex-wife Lois and married his current spouse in 2005.
Jenkins was studying criminology at university and enjoys walking along the south coast seafront.
Jenkins had stood as a Conservative Party candidate in local elections.
How long was he in prison for Billie-Jo’s murder?
In the 1998 trial, Sion was convicted of murdering his 13-year-old daughter Billie-Jo and was jailed for life.
However, he was acquitted after the jury failed to reach a final verdict after two retrials.
He served a total of six years in jail.
When was he acquitted?
In 2005, Sion was formally acquitted and released from jail.
Sion was refused any compensation for his time in prison.
The former deputy headmaster had sought up to £500,000 in damages for the prison term he served, but the Ministry of Justice rejected his request after his case was assessed.
Although Jenkins believed he fitted the criteria for a payout, the compensation rules state that applicants for miscarriage of justice compensation must demonstrate that they are “clearly innocent”.
Jenkins said: “I don’t want sympathy from anyone.”