Shela Aquino, 36, is haunted by the horrors her sister and niece endured
WORDS: CANDICE FERNANDEZ. PHOTOS: ALAMY, CROWN OFFICE EDINBURGH, TRUE LIFE STORIES
Cuddling my newborn niece Jellica in the living room, I listened to my sister’s singing echoing through from the kitchen. Bennylyn, then 23, had the sweetest voice, and it seemed my content little niece agreed as she slept soundly in my arms.
It was autumn 2018 and Bennylyn was a wonderful mother. There’d been six of us siblings growing up in the Philippines with my dad Ben and mum Alele.
While I was nine years older, Bennylyn and I were so close – as kids we’d do each other’s make-up and as we got older we’d go on shopping trips.
Then, at 20, Bennylyn had fallen in love with a British man who’d moved to our city and settled down nearby. I was always visiting them though, especially now that Jellica had joined our big, happy family.
Only, the following August, 2019, Bennylyn had news. ‘We’re moving to the UK,’ she announced. She wanted Jellica, then one, to get a good education and while I agreed, I was still devastated to see them go.
FATAL ENCOUNTER
Initially Bennylyn seemed happy with her new life, but within six months of her emigrating, her marriage had broken down. ‘Come home,’ I begged on the phone. But she’d fallen in love with the UK and wanted to stay.
In March 2020, Bennylyn got her own place in Bristol, started a job selling vacuum cleaners online, and dreamt of having her own business. She’d video chat with me every day, showing Jellica on the swings or happily playing at home.
Then, in February 2021, I video called Bennylyn as usual and when she answered, she was in a car. ‘It’s Andrew’s,’ she said, pointing the camera to the driver. ‘He’s taking me and Jellica to Dundee.’
I was incredibly confused. I’d never heard of Andrew – Bennylyn had never mentioned him before. He was pale, with thinning hair and looked much older than my sister. ‘Hello Shela,’ Andrew said, smiling into the camera.
Bennylyn explained they’d recently met online, and while he drove, Andrew briefly told me about himself. ‘My ex-wife is from Japan,’ he said. While he seemed OK, I was still uneasy. I felt so protective, I wanted to find out more about this stranger driving her hundreds of miles from her home.
So I found Andrew on Facebook, and saw pics of the ex-wife he’d mentioned. I felt a bit reassured and later, Ben
