The 34-year-old man has not been
identified by police but has been named locally as Matthew Williams. The
pair were found at the Sirhowy Arms Hotel in Argoed, Caerphilly, south
Wales, in the early hours of Thursday
Today
the probation service said it would be launching an inquiry after it
emerged Williams was not being monitored despite being released from
prison just two weeks ago following a five-year sentence for an attack
on his ex-girlfriend.
They
said the Next shop assistant must have been persuaded to go up to
Williams' hotel room - at the B&B which was being used as temporary
accommodation for homeless people - before he launched the horrific
attack.
A friend of the pair said: 'They met that night in a bar and got chatting for the first time.
'They had been drinking and he persuaded him back to the hotel and said he'd get her a taxi home.
'Once he got her back in the hotel he must have invited her up to his room and that's where he attacked her.'
Miss
Yemm's heartbroken mother Paula, 49, was being comforted at her
detached home in Oakdale near Blackwood, south Wales, today.
Her
brother Cavan, 25, was in tears as he opened the door of the family
home - a smart detached house on sleepy street. Her sister Shannon said:
'We just need to be left alone to grieve'.
A police family liaison officer was also at the property.
Relatives of Williams said they 'were in complete shock' following the death of an 'innocent' woman.
In a statement, his family said:'We are devastated by the death of an innocent young lady.
'We
are in complete shock. Our thoughts and prayers at this time are with
the victim her family and friends. Words cannot express our grief.'
Police
have been trying to piece together the last hours of Miss Yemm's life
and officers have been carrying out forensic tests on a silver BMW
believed to belong to Williams - who was from the village of Blackwood
and nicknamed Fifi.
Miss Yemm (pictured left with a friend) met her alleged killer just hours prior to the horrific incident yesterday
Miss Yemm (left) was a big fan of TV series Vampire Diaries and even dressed up as a zombie for Halloween
Friends of the shopworker said she was chatted up in a pub by Williams before he invited her back to the hotel
Officers
are trying to work out whether he drove her back to the hotel in the
sleepy village of Argoed, where he was found 'eating her to death while
high on cocaine'.
Lyn
Beasley, who lives close to the hotel, said: 'He went Hannibal Lecter
on the woman, he gouged her eyeball out, ate them and ate half her face.
'He had just been released from prison and was high on coke.'
And
Jill Edwards, who also lives near the hotel, said: 'This animal was
eating this girl to death. He murdered her so police stopped him - good
on them.
'Security said they told him no girls in his room and he didn't answer, when they opened his door he was eating her face.'
Miss
Yemm, who worked in sales at clothing giant Next, was described by
friends today as a fun-loving girl who had been at a Halloween party
with friends just days before the gruesome attack.
She was a huge fan of TV series Vampire Diaries and that night she had dressed as a zombie with friends.
She used the online nickname 'Yummy Yemmy' and knew of Williams through mutual friends.
Williams was described as 'an infamous character' in his hometown of Blackwood with a reputation for violence.
He had only just been released from prison after serving half of a five-year sentence for attacking a former girlfriend.
Another
former partner, Emma Thomas, 38, revealed today that she was still
under court protection from Williams - despite the fact they split up
two years ago.
She said: 'He made my life hell. I've had nothing to do with him since we broke up more than two years ago.
'It is a terrible shock and I'm very sad that this has happened.'
She said the police 'had a lot to answer for' after Williams brutally attacked Miss Yemm.
'I'm in shock, I can't believe it has happened,' she said.
'Me
and my family are thinking of them. At the end of the day I hope that
the girl's family gets justice for this because the police have failed
big time.
'My heart goes out to that poor girl and her family, it's just awful.
'He
got out of prison two weeks ago. I'm still under protection from him,
he has killed a girl. The police have a lot to answer for.
'I'm just mad at the fact that it is the police's fault because they could have protected that young girl.
'They know he was not safe.'
Despite his recent release from prison, Williams was not on bail or subject to any probation meetings.
The
Wales Probation Office today confirmed a serious further offence review
would be carried out because the offence had occurred within a 30 day
period of his sentence ending.
Miss Yemm, 22, nickamed 'Yummy Yemmy' (pictured left with two friends), worked as a shop assistant at Next
Miss Yemm's family were grieving at the family home today (pictured) following the horrific attack
Miss
Yemm and Williams were seen drinking together shortly before the attack
in the early hours of Thursday and Williams was described as 'seeming
sober'.
However, he is thought to have taken cocaine before the attack in which he ate her eyeball and chewed half of her face.
Shelly Davies, a friend of Miss Yemm, said: 'I just keep thinking of how frightening and painful it would have been for her
'I feel sick to my stomach, it's horrific to think that one person can inflict some much brutality onto another.
Miss Yemm's
father (pictured) and the rest of her family were being supported by
family liaison officers at their family home in south Wales today
'I had bad dreams all night and I feel exhausted.'
Another friend, Kathy Young, said: 'My thoughts are with her family.
'No one should have to go through this, this is horror movie stuff. Not happening in your hometown.'
Gareth Griffiths, who lives in Argoed, said: 'We hear on the news that it has been cannibalism.
'Nobody wants to hear that, it must be a horrific way to die, it's horrible, it's unbearable.'
A
friend of Ms Yemm, who did not want to be named, added: 'I feel
stunned, shocked and sick to my stomach. It's horrific. She was a lovely
person. She didn't deserve to die like that.'
Miss Yemm had been a pupil at Oakdale Comprehensive School and had studied Health and Social Care at Crosskeys College.
One businessman in the former mining village of Oakdale said: 'Everyone here knew Cerys - we watched her growing up.
'She was a lovely girl, smart, attractive and brought up by a very good family who she was extremely close to.
'They're nice people - they must be going through hell.'
A neighbour added: 'I can't bring myself to think about what happened to her, she was so nice, she would always say hello.'
Miss Yemm had seen her own former boyfriend Mathew Hayman jailed after breaking up with him in October last year.
Hayman, then 27, tried to kill himself after they split by setting his house on fire.
He lit up his bathroom before turning on the gas cooker - and it was 'pure chance' his house in Abertillery did not explode.
Hayman admitted arson when he appeared at Newport Crown Court and was jailed for three and a half years.
Probe: The man suspected of murdering
his girlfriend who then died after being Tasered by police allegedly
gouged out his victim's eyes and was found 'eating her face' in a south
Wales village, witnesses claim
Investigation: Gwent Police said it had referred the incident to the Independent Police Complaints Commission
Police
are continuing to investigate the double death at the hotel and the
'Hannibal Lecter' attack has been met with revulsion in the village.
A security guard at the hotel is believed to have rung 999 to say he had seen the killer eating the woman.
The officers who responded to a 999 call are being supported by Gwent Police's Force Occupational Health Department.
Gwent
Police confirmed a murder investigation had been launched into Miss
Yemm's death and confirmed a Taser was discharged on Williams. He later
died at the scene despite police trying to save him.
Officers
refused to comment on the specifics of the incident but sources
confirmed Miss Yemm received substantial facial injuries.
A post mortem is currently being carried out on Miss Yemm but police said it 'may not be complete for some time'.
A
Gwent Police spokeswoman added: 'We were called by a concerned member
of the public to an incident at the Sirhowy Arms Hotel in Argoed,
Blackwood where it was reported that a man was attacking a woman.
'On arrival both the man and woman were still at the location.
Forensics could be seen carrying out investigations at the hotel today following the double death yesterday
Floral tributes were placed at the door of the hotel in tribute to Miss Yemm who was allegedly murdered
'A
Taser was discharged, and a 34 year old local man was arrested. Whilst
under arrest, the man became unresponsive. Officers and paramedics
administered First Aid but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
'The woman who sadly died from her injuries at the scene can now be named as Cerys Yemm, aged 22 from Blackwood.
'Cerys' family are currently being supported by specialist Gwent Police officers.
'The
murder investigation is continuing today, officers and Crime Scene
Investigators remain at the scene. To confirm, we are not looking for
anyone else in connection with the incident.
'We are cooperating fully with the IPCC, which is independently investigating the death of the man.
'At this time our thoughts are with the families of the deceased following this extremely tragic incident.
'Our officers who attended the incident yesterday are being fully supported by our Force Occupational Health Department.
'The post mortem for Cerys will start today, although may not be complete for some time.
'There
is an increased police presence in the Argoed area at this time to
reassure local residents. If anyone has concerns we would encourage them
to speak to local officers.'
The force also confirmed it was not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.
Speaking
to reporters today, Chief Inspector Paul Staniforth said: 'The
post-mortem for Cerys will start today, but will take some time.
'Speculation
about what happened at the scene and the cause of death is unhelpful
and very upsetting for the family of the deceased.'
On the scene: A local councillor said Argoed, a village in south Wales, had been 'hit for six' by the deaths
Examining the area: The hotel is located in the Sirhowy Valley in a village of about 2,500 people
Response: The Welsh Ambulance Service confirmed they were called to the incident at around 1.30am
The
Independent Police Complaints Commission is also investigating
Williams' death because he was in police custody after being Tasered and
arrested.
A
spokeswoman for the watchdog said: 'The IPCC is independently
investigating an incident overnight in Blackwood in which a man and a
woman have died.
'Gwent Police referred the incident to the IPCC early this morning.'
A Home Office pathologist and scenes of crime officers were at the hotel today trying to discover how the couple died.
Witnesses
reported seeing forensic officers in white overalls at the scene, as
well as a police cordon which blocked access to the hotel as well as the
local Baptist church's graveyard.
Police
were also seen carrying out forensic tests on a silver BMW believed to
belong to Williams which was parked outside the hotel.
Local
resident Cindy Farr, 41, told MailOnline of a 'significant' police
response, adding: 'You do have police going back and forth regularly but
I've never seen any problems. It is quite out of character.'
Grandmother
Susan Gibbs, 71, who lives near the hotel, said: 'I'm not really
surprised that something like this has happened. Police seem to be here
every other night to sort out the violence.
'This
was a quiet peaceful village before it was opened, now it's got to the
stage where our houses are being devalued because of the problem. We've
even had people sleeping rough overnight in the hedge rows.
'Once of the bodies was brought out wrapped in a brown bag on a stretcher.'
June
Trace, secretary of Argoed Baptist Church, said the building had a
'fluctuating' population of people, mostly in their 30s or 40s.
A villager, who did not want to be named, said: 'Ever since [the hostel] opened, we've had constant problems.
'I've got a young family and I'm frightened to even walk near the place.'
Another resident said: 'The police are here nearly every other day.'
And
Reverend Charlotte Moss of Argoed Baptist Church told MailOnline:
'We're doing what we can. All we can do at the moment is we've opened
the building and made it available for people.'
She
said she had been 'back and forth' to the church today - and added that
it was there to support local residents, describing the area as 'a
typical Valleys village'.
Welsh
Ambulance Services were called by police at 1.30am and said they
'responded with a paramedic in a rapid response vehicle and a crew in an
emergency ambulance'.
A spokesman added that a man and woman were both pronounced dead at the scene.
Early morning attack: Police were called to the Sirhowy Arms Hotel (above) in Argoed, Caerphilly, south Wales
The
hotel - located in the Sirhowy Valley in a village of about 2,500
people - has nine guest rooms, including three singles, four twins, one
double and one family.
Local
media reported five years ago how the building was being used as a bed
and breakfast helping the homeless, having closed as a pub and hotel in
2008.
Local councillor and Caerphilly Council deputy mayor Leon Gardiner, 81, said Argoed had been 'hit for six' by the deaths.
He
said: 'When I went for my paper this morning, I could see the road was
closed off and there were police everywhere. When I heard that two
people had died, I couldn't believe it.
'Everyone
is totally stunned by what has happened. It's a shock because Argoed is
a lovely place to live and I've never known anything like this to
happen here before.'
When I heard that two people had died, I couldn't believe it. Everyone is totally stunned by what has happened
Leon Gardiner, local councillor
Mr Gardiner added that he also felt sorry for the owners the Sirhowy Arms Hotel.
'They
are a lovely couple and well liked' he said. 'They've done a smashing
job - especially with the renovations in the past couple of years.
'It's a B&B but has been used as a hostel for homeless people. It's run magnificently.'
That
sentiment was also echoed by a neighbour of the hotel, who said: 'We've
never had any problems. The people who live there are not allowed to
drink or smoke in the hotel so they go down to the woods to do it.
Sometimes there are police vans outside if there has been a fight or
something, but despite that it's still a quiet street.'
A
spokesman for Caerphilly County Borough Council said: 'The authority is
fully co-operating with Gwent Police as part of their ongoing
investigations.
'We
can confirm that the B&B establishment is used by the council for
the temporary placement of single homeless people and has been in
operation for a number of years.'
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