Murderer described as a ‘proud and loving father’

MATTHEW Scully-Hicks was born in Cornwall, where he lived with his parents and elder sister until aged 16.

He attended school near his home village of Delabole and left with 10 GCSEs.

Family friends told Cardiff Crown Court he was “helpful and loving” to friends and family.

In 2003, Scully-Hicks began employment at Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon, where he worked his way up from assistant to pool-side lifeguard to operations manager.

He left the leisure centre in 2011, having met future husband and nightclub owner Craig Scully-Hicks in 2006. The couple began a relationship in 2008 and relocated to south Wales, where Craig Scully-Hicks had a large family.

Scully-Hicks and Craig married in Portugal in August 2012, having already discussed that they would like to have children through adoption.

“We both sat down and talked about our life goals, what we wanted to achieve in the future,” ScullyHicks said. “We were both of the mind that we wanted children, that was something we were able to agree on very early on.”

It was decided that Scully-Hicks, nicknamed “safety boy” by his husband, would stay at home to look after any children while Craig worked.

Vivian Cownie, a colleague of Scully-Hicks at Working Links from 2012, said: “Matt was a very proud father; a caring and loving father who would do anything for his child.”

Mrs Tyres said she was not surprised when Scully-Hicks decided to adopt as “he himself had experienced a loving home”.

“Whenever I saw him with his daughter he was calm and caring,” the former teacher said. “I never saw him angry and was impressed with his patience.”

She said he would “quietly discipline” Elsie by giving her “time out”.

Craig said his husband was a devoted and loving father, with the couple taking decisions about her care together.

“My house was filled with love and happiness. All the time,” he said. “If I had suspected anything, I wouldn’t have tolerated it.”

The family moved out of Wellright Road and into a £400,000 four-bedroom property in Llandaff in April 2016.