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Mum killed in grenade blast as ex-partner detonates device at Bristol home

05 May 2026 , 20:09
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Mum killed in grenade blast as ex-partner detonates device at Bristol home
Mum killed in grenade blast as ex-partner detonates device at Bristol home

A mum who died in a grenade explosion in Bristol this weekend has been pictured for the first time.

Joanne Shaw, 35, died alongside her ex-boyfriend Ryan Kelly, 41 in a ‘suspicious’ blast on Sunday morning.

Police say they were called to a domestic fight at a home on Sterncourt Road at 6.17am on Sunday.

In an update this afternoon, Avon and Somerset Police said: ‘Although the formal identification process has not yet been completed, we believe the woman to be 35-year-old Jo Shaw who lived at the address in Sterncourt Road, and the man to be her 41-year-old former partner, Ryan Kelly.’

Bristol explosion Victim Joanne Shaw, murdered by her ex-partner 'who forced his way into her house and killed them both with a grenade' in explosion that left three others injured ? ID?d by a neighbour and a local shopkeeper. qhiukiqrihhprw

Person dies after being pulled from water in public park by firefightersPerson dies after being pulled from water in public park by firefighters

Neighbours claimed that Joanne had just moved to a terraced home on the Bristol street to escape her ex-partner.

Neighbour Stuart Blanchard said: ‘She had been complaining to the police for some time before this incident, and he had been harassing her.

‘It’s a shock for everyone because they were a really nice family, I cannot believe it has happened. It wasn’t Jo’s house, it was her parents’, she just lived there. She had split up with him, and I think she moved there to escape from him.

‘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.’

Local Wayne Smith, 58, told The Sun: ‘He’s turned up at her house with a grenade and detonated it on the doorstep and killed the pair of them.’

Friends and neighbours have begun to pay tribute to the victim, who is understood to have worked at a local tanning salon.

Forensics at the scene. A house explosion which killed two people in Bristol was caused by a ''hand grenade set off by an ex'', it has been claimed. The blast on Sunday left a man and a woman dead and three injured with police sending in a bomb squad. Reports now say it was caused by a man setting off a grenade - killing himself and his ex partner. The three other injured people including a child have since been released from hospital. Bristol. 05 May 2026. Photo released 05/05/2026

Ryan Kelly, 41, has now been identified as the man who died at the property. He previously dated Shaw.

Superintendent Matt Ebbs said: ‘A woman and a man have died at the address and we’re treating the explosion as suspicious. 

‘Their families have been updated and are being supported by specially trained officers. Our thoughts are very much with them.’

Person dies after being pulled from freezing water at parkPerson dies after being pulled from freezing water at park

The neighbourhood has since been declared safe after bomb disposal units moved through and checked for any unexploded ordnance.

More than 70 people had to be evacuated to a nearby Harvesters pub before being moved on to a community centre.

A pub worker told Metro: ‘Obviously, they were very confused, very worried because there was a lot of speculation, but they seemed to be in good spirits.’

Several double-crewed units were dispatched to the address shortly after the initial call was made to police, with the caller remaining on the line.

At around 6.30am, the caller said the man was believed to have an explosive device. Two minutes later, the explosion took place and ambulances arrived on the scene at 6.34am.

Police are currently not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident, and they are not treating it as a suspected terrorist event.

? Licensed to London News Pictures 03/05/2026; Bristol, UK. Emergency services, police and EOD bomb disposal attend an incident in Sterncourt Road in Frenchay after an explosion was reported around 6.30am this morning. Roads have been closed and a number of homes have been evacuated. Photo credit: Simon Chapman/LNP.

One witness said a loud bang around 6.30am and went to investigate, until being told to ‘get inside’ by armed police forces.

A resident told the Mirror that he and his partner are helping elderly neighbours evacuate to a nearby pub.

He added: ‘We have been told to stay in the Harvester until further notice. We may not be able to go home tonight.’

Another resident claimed to see smoke from a house, telling BristolLive: ‘There were two or three unmarked police cars and a number of ambulances and police vehicles, and now the bomb squad is there.’

Kelly spent five years in prison after he admitted to conspiracy to supply cocaine in 2015, along with seven other men, in what has been branded a ‘Breaking Bad’ drug gang.

The operation was run by George Rogers, who was battling lung cancer, from prison.

He had planned to set up a lab where a self-taught chemist would produce crystal meth before police brought the gang to justice.

George MacGregor

George MacGregor

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