A hero mother killed by her gangster ex after he blew up a grenade in her Bristol home had previously fled from him in fear for her life.
Joanne Shaw, 35, had left her violent ex-partner Ryan Kelly, 41, for her own safety and moved back in with her family, calling police over his behaviour multiple times.
But tragedy struck early on Sunday morning after Kelly entered the property in Sterncourt Road and set off a blast which killed them both.
Hero mother Ms Shaw was able to save her child’s life in the moments before the explosion by sending him outside to play on a trampoline after a serious argument began between her and Kelly.
Police were called around 15 minutes before the explosion – which was heard at 6.32am – and informed at 6.30am that the man in the property was believed to have an explosive device.
The blast moments later also injured three people, believed to be her son and two other family members. They have now all been discharged from hospital.
Avon and Somerset Police has made a mandatory referral to the IOPC due to its recent contact with the victim and are treating her death as murder.
It was also revealed this week that Kelly was jailed for five years in 2015 after admitting conspiracy to supply cocaine as part of a ‘Breaking Bad’ gang that sold drugs for a 78-year-old battling cancer.
Joanne Shaw, 35, has been hailed as a hero for saving a child’s life before she was murdered by her ex-partner Ryan Kelly, 41
The twisted frame of a smashed window is seen propped up against the wall of the home on May 5, 2026
Shocked neighbours who witnessed the explosion have now been allowed to return home, and have spoken of a ‘loving family’ that has been torn apart by the tragedy.
Neighbour Stuart Blanchard said: ‘The partner’s gone there in a mental state. It wasn’t Jo’s house, it was her parent’s, she just lived there. She had split up with him and I think she moved there to escape from him.
‘She had been complaining to the police for some time before this incident and he had been harassing her.
‘I’d heard the shouting before while having breakfast, something like “get out, get out” but there’s something every week in this area so I didn’t go out.
‘Then there was a bang, it shook my front door. But my friend heard the kicking so went over. I thought it was a gas explosion so stayed inside.
‘I’ve heard it was a hand grenade. I spoke to the guy who called 999 and he said the child was out on the trampoline. It will haunt him. She probably told him to go out there to get out of the way of them arguing.
‘The police were here in seconds, they were called before the explosion. Another friend said he saw the police giving Jo CPR but when the explosives team arrived they had to leave in case there were more explosions. It was awful for them.’
Ms Shaw’s uncle, John Shaw, told the Daily Mail: ‘My younger brother Anthony rang me to tell me that she’d been killed and that her ex had let a grenade off in the house.
‘I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and am still struggling to make sense of all this. My brother was hardly able to speak, he was crying down the phone.
‘We called my niece Joey. She was a wonderful woman and a great mother.
‘I don’t understand why anybody would want to harm her in any way. The man who did this is the scum of the earth and it’s a good job he died because otherwise I’d have killed him myself.’
Ms Shaw’s house in Bristol was also the registered address of a local family-based gardening business. A police presence remains at the scene.
Kelly (pictured) forced his way into Ms Shaw’s home in Bristol and killed them both by detonating an explosive device believed to be a grenade
Police scoured the scene on Sunday, May 4. Three others were injured – believed to be Ms Shaw’s son and two other family members – but have since been discharged from hospital
The force confirmed it received a call from a person inside the property at 6.17am reporting a domestic-related incident. They stated a man, who was known to Ms Shaw, had forced entry to the house.
Several double-crewed units were initially dispatched to the address as the caller remained on the line.
At approximately 6.30am, the caller told police the man was believed to be in possession of an explosive device. Around two minutes later an explosion occurred at the property.
The first officers arrived at the property at 6.34am and were joined by the fire and ambulance services shortly afterwards, but were unable to save Ms Shaw or her ex.
An Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson said: ‘We can confirm a mandatory referral will be made by our Professional Standards Department to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
‘This is on the grounds of the deaths occurring following previous police contact, specifically other domestic incidents being reported to us prior to Sunday.’
Neighbour Mr Blanchard said the whole community had been shocked by the events.
He added: ‘It’s a shock for everyone because they were a really nice family, I cannot believe it has happened. They were not what you would consider would cause problems.
‘She has been here quite a while, at least three years, I think she originally came here to get away from him.’
Another neighbour Michael Gwyther added: ‘I just heard a blast, I thought someone was trying to kick through the door.’
Kwestan Ahmed added: ‘I heard screaming and shouting but I’m not sure if it was them or the police. I thought the bang was a car crash, I’d never ever think it could be a bomb.’
Superintendent Matt Ebbs said: ‘We know people will be shocked and upset to learn of the horrendous events that happened on Sunday morning.
‘Jo’s death has been officially recorded as a homicide based on the information known to us at this time. We are not looking for anyone else in connection with her death.
‘We know everyone’s thoughts and sympathies will be with her devastated family. Specially-trained officers are providing them with updates and support.
‘We recognise there is significant interest in what happened, but at the centre of it there are many people grieving and we would please ask everyone respects that and gives them the privacy they want.’
Officers worked with Bristol City Council to evacuate people staying in neighbouring properties as a precaution and a temporary rest centre was set up.
Extensive searches were carried out by the Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal team and specialist police officers to ensure the area was safe before the cordon was reduced on Sunday night and almost all residents were allowed to return home.
A search of an address in Speedwell linked to Kelly concluded over the bank holiday weekend. No evacuations were required at that location.
Supt Ebbs added: ‘Police activity continues to be carried out at the property in Sterncourt Road and we expect this will take several days to be completed.
‘We would like to reassure the public there is not believed to be any wider risk to safety and this is not being treated as terrorism-related.
‘As previously stated, we believe the cause of the explosion to be deliberate. Analysis work of the explosive device has not yet been completed.
‘We will share all details of our enquiries with the coroner so they can make a final determination around how the deaths occurred in due course.
‘Officers remain in the area and people can speak to them if they have concerns they wish to discuss with us.
‘Finally, we would like to reiterate our thanks to emergency services, other agencies and volunteers for their support over the weekend. This remains a challenging and complex incident, and we are ensuring our officers and staff have access to any support they need.’
Kelly was convicted for being a foot-soldier in a crystal meth drugs gang and jailed for five years in 2015.
The then 30-year-old, of Speedwell Road, Bristol, admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine at a hearing before trial.
He was part of the gang masterminded by a then 78-year-old George Roberts from Bristol, who was battling cancer.
The trial heard Roberts ran the plot from prison despite his illness and recruited a self-taught chemist to set up a lab and make the highly addictive drug crystal meth.
He formed a UK-wide team, that included Kelly, who obtained a kilo of cocaine and planned to sell it for £60,000 so they could buy chemicals and equipment from the Netherlands needed to manufacture the drugs.
Nine members of the gang – which also planned to make 20,000 ecstasy pills an hour – were all jailed following a three-month long trial at Bristol Crown Court.
