Matthew Jonathan, 40, laughed while being questioned by detectives about the homophobic murder of Jamie Gawler, 54, whom he had tortured for two days at Gawler's home in Hereford. Newly released footage from the BBC documentary Murder 24/7 shows the moment during his interview with West Mercia Police.
Jonathan filmed himself assaulting Gawler on his mobile phone in January 2025. He was jailed for 32 years at Worcester Crown Court after admitting murder.
Gawler's brother became worried after calling his phone and finding it answered by a police officer. The phone had been found at Porth railway station in South Wales.
The brother went to Gawler's flat, where he found blood on the hallway floor and walls. He discovered Gawler dead in an armchair with a towel over his face, having suffered significant injuries to his head, neck and chest, including most of his ribs.
Fingerprint Led Police to Jonathan
A fingerprint on a vodka bottle in the flat was matched to Jonathan, who had fled Hereford. Police traced him to Wales by following his financial transactions.
Jonathan had met Gawler only a month earlier, at a night shelter in Hereford in December 2024. He had recently been released from prison, and Gawler offered him a place to stay at his flat over Christmas because it was so cold outside.
Gawler, described by his family as "kind, funny and gentle," endured a shocking series of attacks that left him incapacitated. Jonathan stole and used his mobile phone and bank cards to buy alcohol. Video and photo evidence Jonathan captured on his phone showed Gawler gravely injured as Jonathan tortured him and directed homophobic abuse at him.
Jonathan Laughs During Police Questioning
In the interview footage, a detective asks Jonathan whether he was "in possession of Jamie's phone." Jonathan replies, "No comment." When the officer tells him the phone had been recovered, he says, "So? What's it got to do with me?"
Asked to account for how Gawler's phone had called his brother, Jonathan says, "I ain't accounting for s**t." He then begins laughing. "Are you alright?" the detective asks. He stops and replies, "Yeah, I'm fine thank you." She presses him: "You're laughing. Why are you laughing? It's not a laughing matter."
Jonathan insists "all this is a joke," but the detective describes it as a "serious investigation." He tells her: "It might be a serious investigation but it's nothing to do with me. Nothing to do with me, leave me alone. Leave me to just live my life." When she says they are asking him questions about a serious matter, he replies that her questions will "get the same answer over and over and over again," dismisses the investigation as "b*****ks," and tells her: "You are the police, do your work." She responds that questioning him is her work. He answers: "You're clutching at straws, just wasting my time, wasting my time and wasting everybody else's time."
Jonathan Fled to Porth Before Arrest
Once he knew Gawler was dead, Jonathan fled and boarded a train for Cardiff with a friend, getting off about 15 miles early in Porth. CCTV from Porth railway station showed him falling backwards, hitting his head and lying unconscious, before he attacked a paramedic sent to help him.
Jonathan left Gawler's phone and bank cards on the platform floor, along with his own, which is how police discovered them and made the link. He was arrested by South Wales Police outside Square's nightclub in Porth and transferred to Hereford police station for questioning.
When custody photographs were taken, officers saw the words "Natural Born Killer" tattooed across his back. During questioning, Jonathan denied any part in Gawler's death, claiming he had left him alive and was distraught to learn he was dead. He admitted murder soon after, at a hearing in April 2025, and was sentenced in September.
'Worst Videos' Officer Had Ever Seen
Officers later found videos of the assault on Jonathan's phone. In one clip, Jonathan bragged that he was willing to serve a lengthy sentence, saying, "I'll do 30 years for this, I don't care." In another, he showed no mercy even as Gawler pleaded for his mother, telling him: "Don't give me that broken face b******."
The investigation was led by Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Lougher, who said the videos found were the worst he had seen in his 22-year career, describing them as "extreme sadistic violence." He said it was the first time he had had to prevent members of the investigation team from viewing evidence "because they were that violent." Officers said the injuries visible on Jonathan's face in his custody photograph were "the result of a medical episode."
Jonathan's Past Convictions and Tributes to Gawler
Jonathan had 18 previous convictions covering 33 offences, including strangulation, drug possession and the assault of a grandmother. He had been released from prison for his most recent offence just six weeks before the murder.
After Jonathan was sentenced, Gawler's family said he would be "forever in our hearts and remembered as the kind, funny and gentle man that he was." In an earlier statement after his death, relatives said Gawler was "a true gentleman and a very much-loved son, brother, uncle and friend," adding that the family were devastated by his passing. Gawler was also described as a quiet and generous man who went to church and attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
Murder 24/7 is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
