SIX months after a Blackwood man was stabbed to death in a frenzied attack at a Newport homeless shelter, his brother speaks of the horror of learning what happened to his loved one.

Father-of-two Rhys Jones, 36, was murdered by Rhys Barnes at the Solas Homeless shelter on Clarence Place six months ago.

Barnes, who pleaded guilty to the crime, was sentenced to 26 years in prison in March after stabbing Mr Jones 11 times with a black-handled steak knife, leaving him with 16 stab wounds.

Speaking to the Argus, Mr Jones’ brother, Dean Jones, 43, from Blackwood, says he felt justice was done with the life sentence but was still horrified by the gruesome details aired in court.

He now feels able to talk about attending the case and learning of the circumstances of what happened to his brother.

But he fears his brother's killer will "never be rehabilitated".

He said: “When you’re sat there and hear what he actually did to him, it was like something worse than the worst horror movie we’ve seen.

“You can’t imagine doing that to someone. That’s the worst bit just imagining what actually happened to Rhys [Jones]."

Cardiff Crown Court heard that Barnes, standing over Mr Jones’ lifeless body, told officers: “I warned him not to mess with me. I hope he dies. No one messes with the Barnes’.

“You messed with the wrong person. Bang, bang, bang – you’re dead.”

Speaking of the killer, Mr Jones said: "He will never, ever contribute something to society. Someone like him will never be rehabilitated. I’ve got nothing at all to say to him – he’s just the lowest of the low.”

That night, before the murder, Barnes was seen on CCTV at the shelter kicking the reception wall and punching a window and the police were called.

Just hours earlier, as was aired in court, he told friends at the Talisman pub in the city: “When I go over there tonight, I’m going to end up killing him and he’s not going to be here tomorrow.”

Mr Jones says he’s still amazed that Barnes, who had 17 previous convictions for 41 offences, had not been monitored more closely at the shelter.

He said: “What happened was ridiculous and it shouldn’t have happened in the middle of Newport.

“They’re trying to sell Newport and Friars Walk and all that. People don’t have a clue what’s living across the bridge. It’s not a safe place.”

A Solas spokesman said: “The safety and wellbeing of our residents and staff is our absolute priority.

“We have recently taken steps to ensure our Clarence Place service is enhanced: installing a new CCTV system; revamping lone-working procedures to provide additional support for both residents and staff; and establishing ourselves as a priority response service with Gwent Police.”