Sussex: ‘Controlling and violent’ man who lied about how his girlfriend sustained fatal injuries found guilty of murdering his partner

Holly Sanchez’s body was found in a property in Crawley on the morning of May 13, 2023, following a 999 call from Ryan Evans, in which he claimed she had been alive when he went to sleep and woke to find her unresponsive.

In an attempt to escape responsibility for what he had done and smear his victim, he falsely claimed in the call that she had taken prescription drugs, had fallen over in town and then been attacked by strangers.

A post mortem examination found extensive injuries on her body, including significant brain injuries, so severe that they were consistent either with a car crash, falling from a height or being attacked. Five of her ribs were fractured and her left lung was damaged, injuries which led her to develop pneumonia, the cause of her death.

An aspect of the case that the Crown Prosecution Service had to deal sensitively with as part of the prosecution was around the denials and false retractions made by the victim – a commonly misunderstood phenomenon in domestic abuse.

Police were called on a number of occasions to arrest Evans, but Holly would deny being assaulted and plead with them not to arrest him. This is extremely common in domestic abuse cases and the CPS was able to show the jury that these retractions were false. It reflected the coercive control Evan’s displayed and that instead of weakening the case against Evans, they in fact strengthened it.

Less than a month before her death, Holly revealed to police that Ryan Evans had attacked her, putting out a cigarette on her face and was taking money from her bank account. She told officers that she was scared he would kill her if he found out she had been talking about him and the next morning she tried to retract her statement, claiming she had fallen out of a car.

The CPS also used wider evidence from witnesses to prove Evans was lying about what happened to Holly, which the in-house CPS barrister was able to present in court.

Ryan Richter from the Crown Prosecution Service South East said: “Ryan Evans engaged in a relationship with Holly Sanchez where he sought to control and coerce her. He regularly subjected Holly to violence in the short time that they were together and he caused the injuries that killed her just a few days before her death.”

“Despite his lies, which were designed to smear her in a bid to evade responsibility for his crimes, we were able to prove to the jury that Evans was responsible for her murder by carefully piecing together what had happened to her over the previous few weeks.

“Holly’s confession to officers that Ryan had subjected her to physical violence was crucial in bringing her killer to justice. Our thoughts are with her friends and family at this difficult time.”

Sussex Police released a tribute from Holly’s family.

“Holly was a daughter, granddaughter, aunt, sister, and most importantly a mother. We miss Holly and her infectious laugh every day. Holly was taken from us and her children by a cruel and evil monster. We hope that the sentencing reflects Evans’ brutal treatment of Holly over the last six weeks of her life.

“We would like to thank the investigation team and our family liaison officers for all of their help and support throughout one of the most traumatic years. We would appreciate space and privacy while we process the terrible things we have heard and seen while we have been at court.

“We hope that Holly’s case raises awareness of how quickly domestic violence can have fatal consequences. We hope that Holly’s story will reach victims of domestic violence that are too scared to speak out and ask for help. We also hope that it raises awareness to the families of those who are currently suffering abuse and we would encourage families to pay close attention to any small changes of behaviour by their loved ones.”

Evans, of Oates Walk, Crawley, was arrested and charged with murder. He denied the offence and was remanded in custody to appear before Lewes Crown Court for trial on June 24.

Evans was further charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, coercive and controlling behaviour and two counts of causing grievous bodily harm, all relating to Ms Sanchez.

These four additional offences were in relation to incidents previously reported to Sussex Police. Evans was interviewed and bailed with conditions not to contact the victim directly or indirectly, and Ms Sanchez was referred to the relevant safeguarding agencies as the alleged offences were investigated.

The CPS subsequently authorised these further charges – at the request of Sussex Police – following the murder charge, all of which Evans denied.

On Tuesday, July 16, the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict on the offences of murder, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, coercive and controlling behaviour and one count of causing grievous bodily harm; Evans was found not guilty of the second count of grievous bodily harm.

He remains remanded in custody ahead of sentencing at a court location to be confirmed on 13 September.

Two further people were arrested in connection with the investigation, but were released with no further action.

Detective Superintendent Debbie White, the Senior Investigating Officer, said: “Firstly, I’d like to commend Ms Sanchez’ family who have assisted us throughout this investigation and bravely stood before court to provide vital witness testimonies.

“They have also had to hear the harrowing description of injuries inflicted on Ms Sanchez by Ryan Evans, which included causing significant hand and facial injuries. He also took financial advantage of her and made repeated threats of violence – before his offending escalated and ultimately led to her death in May 2023.

“No one should ever have to endure a violent relationship, and that’s why we offer a scheme – known as Claire’s Law – where people can request information on their partner or ex-partner’s criminal history to see if they are at risk of domestic violence.

“It means more people are making informed decisions on their own safety much sooner, potentially saving lives.

“I’d also like to thank all other witnesses who came forward to provide evidence, which assisted in our investigation to bring this violent offender to justice.”

You can read more about the Claire’s Law scheme here.