Couple moved from Ireland to become part of community
ORIGINALLY from County Tipperary, Ireland Paul and Elizabeth Jordan moved to North Wales in the early 1980s to find work.
They settled in Bangor and made their homes on the sprawling Maesgeirchen housing estate on the outskirts of the city.
Both found work with Jordan, known locally as Paul Irish, employed by the local council as a binman. Later he worked as a baker before being employed by BT at their call centre in Garth Road. Latterly he worked in a small team handling complaints.
Elizabeth Jordan, known as Betty, meanwhile found work in cafes and chip shops in the Bangor area. Until her death last July she worked at the Plas Hedd care home in Maesgeirchen.
During the trial the court heard she was highly thought of by staff and residents at the home. She was said to enjoy nights out and regularly went to the bingo.
Soon after they arrived in Bangor the couple had the first of their two children. Paul was born in 1984 and Clare followed in 1991.
The eldest has since left home and lives and works in the Manchester area.
Clare still lives at Trem y Garnedd and works at Ysbyty Gwynedd.
During the six-day hearing the siblings sat with other members of family in the public gallery in court 1 at the Caernarfon Justice Centre.
Jordan, the youngest of 13 children, was described in court as a very heavy drinker and possibly an alcoholic, but managed to hold down a good job with BT. In the months before his arrest he had sought professional help for his drinking and had attended meetings of The Fellowship, the local branch of Alcoholics Anonymous.
He had been with his wife for more than 30 years although the relationship had at times been strained with regular arguments.
The jury heard he had a flirtatious nature and had had one affair with another woman.
But his barrister, Gordon Cole QC, pointed out that not one witness had come to court to say one bad word about him.
He was well thought of in the community and had adopted Maesgeirchen as his home and worked hard to improve conditions in the area.
He had served as a school governor at Ysgol Glan Cegin, the estate’s primary school, and had harboured hopes of being a councillor.
Jordan was a prominent member of Matra, a voluntary community group in Maesgeirchen.