Gary Jenkins: Hundreds gather in Cardiff for vigil after doctor murdered in homophobic attack
Last week three people were convicted of Dr. Gary Jenkins' murder which happened in July 2020.
Words: Alastair James; pictures: David Llewellyn and Ed Barnes at The Cardffian
Hundreds of people gathered in Cardiff last night (Sunday 6 February) as part of a vigil in memory of a doctor who was murdered in a homophobic attack in the city last July.
Dr. Gary Jenkins was ambushed by Lee Strickland, 36, Jason Edwards, 25, and Dionne Timms-Williams, 17 in Bute Park in the Welsh capital on 20 July. The trio was convicted of murder on Thursday (3 February) and will be sentenced in March.
Dr. Jenkins, a psychiatrist, died 16 days after the violent attack in which he was “viciously beaten, robbed, tortured”. A post mortem concluded that the cause of death was blunt head injury and bleeding on the brain.
“Society has really got a long way to go”
Sunday vigil took place outside Cardiff’s National Museum near the city centre and included a one-minute silence for Dr. Jenkins. Those who knew him were also able to share their memories of him.
Yan White, who helped organise the vigil, told the BBC it was a moment “for people to come together to pay respects and reflect on Dr Gary Jenkins’ life.”
He paid tribute to Dr. Jenkins, describing him from other people’s accounts as “a really larger than life character who sounds really amazing.”
White added that stories of homophobic attacks are heard “week on week,” adding that homophobia is “not something that has gone away in society and I think a lot of people think that because there’s rainbows everywhere in June that maybe it’s fine. But we are far from that and society has really got a long way to go.”
The vigil at Cardiff’s National Museum (Photo: David Llewellyn)
People gathering at Cardiff’s National Museum (Photo: Ed Barnes)
Cardiff vicar and former Attitude Pride Award winner, Sarah Jones, spoke at the event. Sharing a video of herself speaking, she said: “It was a moving event after an horrific attack. Let us build communities of peace and love”
Da iawn to the organisers of the vigil for Dr Gary Jenkins and to everyone who gathered in Cardiff tonight. It was a moving event after an horrific attack. Let us build communities of peace and love 🌈🙏 https://t.co/0jjgyhbB0L
— Sarah Jones (@SarahJonestoo) February 6, 2022
During the trial, the jury heard how Dr. Jenkins, who identified as bisexual and had been previously married with children, would visit the park “looking for sexual contact with like-minded men”.
It also heard how Strickland, Edwards, and Timms-Williams had gone to the Summerhouse cafe area of Bute Park, where men would often meet for sex. There they had beaten him and left him for dead.
Following the trial, the Crown Prosecution Service apologised after prosecutors said Dr. Jenkins’ “sexual predilections had been his undoing”.
Homophobic hate crimes have doubled in the last four years, according to the latest Home Office figures, with more than 17,000 incidents recorded between 2020 and 2021 and around 8,500 in 2016/17. Anti-trans hate crime has also doubled in the same time period.
The Attitude February issue is out now. Get your copy here.
