THIS is the sick moment a killer laughs during a police interview after filming himself beating a kind Samaritan to death over two days.
Jamie Gawler, 54, was tragically found dead at his flat in in January last year after .
Matthew Jonathan, 40, laughed while being questioned by police Credit: West Mercia Police
The 40-year-old filmed himself brutally attacking Jamie Credit: West Mercia Police
with him after the pair had struck up a friendship while Jonathan had been staying at a night shelter.
But a month later, .
Police recovered seven “extremely graphic and distressing” videos filmed on a showing Jonathan savagely beating Jamie which ultimately led to his death.
In an episode of BBC’s crime documentary Murder 24/7, footage of Jonathan’s interview with West Mercia Police reveals how he laughed when being questioned about the heinous crime.
He was later arrested by South Wales Police Credit: West Mercia Police
Jamie Gawler was beaten to death at his flat in Hereford after offering a homeless man a place to stay Credit: facebook/@herefordpolice
A detective asks Jonathan if he was in possession of Jamie’s phone to which Jonathan replied “no comment”.
The officer says: “Now, that phone has been recovered” and Jonathan asks her: “So? What’s it got to do with me?”
“I’m asking you to account for that. I’m asking you to account for how Jamie’s phone has made a telephone call to your brother,” says the detective.
Jonathan, who appears to have multiple bruises on his face, repositions himself in his chair, before replying: “I ain’t accounting for sh**.”
Jonathan used Jamie’s bank cards during and after the attacks Credit: West Mercia Police
Matthew Jonathan was jailed for life with a minimum term of 32 years Credit: West Mercia Police
Then there’s an eerie silence before the callous killer starts laughing.
The detective asks: “Are you alright?” and Jonathan replies: “Yeah, I’m fine thank you.”
Horrified and puzzled by his reaction, she asks: “You’re laughing. Why are you laughing? It’s not a laughing matter.”
But Jonathan says “this is all a joke” while the detective insists that this is a “serious investigation”.
“It might be a serious investigation but it’s nothing to do with me,” Jonathan replies.
“Nothing to do with me, leave me alone. Leave me to just live my life.”
The detective says: “You’re sat here and we’re asking you questions about a serious matter”, to which Jonathan tells her she will “get the same answer over and over and over again”.
“Obviously we’re doing our investigations and we’re here to gather the information,” says the detective.
But Jonathan replies curtly: “Yeah, but it’s bollocks” and tells her “You are the police, do your work”.
The detective explains: “Well, I’m doing my work by asking you questions now, Matthew.”
But he retaliates: “You’re clutching at straws, just wasting my time, wasting my time and wasting everybody else’s time.”
Jonathan was jailed for 32 years at Worcester Crown Court in September last year after pleading guilty to murder for killing Jamie in his own home.
Police investigations found two fingerprints on one of eleven empty vodka bottles in the flat matched him, and a bloody boot print at the scene was traced to his rare footwear through a national database.
Detectives also found that Jonathan had used Jamie’s cards to make purchases in local both during and after the brutal attack.
Jonathan travelled to South Wales on January 17, 2025 where he had a medical episode on a train station platform.
Several items had fallen from his pocket including Jamie’s mobile phone, bank card and his car keys.
Jamie’s brother had tried calling him the next day as he hadn’t heard from him but a South Wales Police officer picked up the phone.
They told him they had discovered the phone earlier in the day at Porth railway station
Concerned for Jamie’s welfare, he decided to check on him at his home where he found his brother’s body.
Jonathan was arrested on January 19 by South Wales Police where he was then transferred to Police Station and quizzed by detectives.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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