Alex Rodda’s family today paid tribute to a “wonderful, gentle, loving, kind, caring, respectful boy” after a teenager was found guilty of his murder.
Matthew Mason, 19, was today convicted by a jury at Chester Crown Court of murdering Alex, who was just 15 at the time and a schoolboy at Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School.
Alex’s partially stripped body was found by refuse collectors on Ashley Mill Lane, on the border between Hale and Ashley, on Friday December 12th 2019.
Mason had used a wrench to strike Alex an estimated 15 times in what was described as a ferocious and merciless attack.
In a statement released after the verdict this afternoon, Alex’s family said they had “never come across a more selfish, cold and calculating person” than Mason.
They said: “Our son Alex was a wonderful, gentle, loving, kind, caring, respectful boy who loved life and lived life to the full. His precious life was cut short all too soon at the hands of Matthew Mason.
“Mason admitted killing Alex from the outset of this trial but still felt the need to put us through the trauma of this trial in an attempt to minimise his sentence. He never once considered the pain it would put our family through or indeed his own family.
“We have never come across a more selfish, cold and calculating person.
“Mason has attempted to blame Alex and discredit his name throughout this trial and thankfully the jury were able to see through his web of deceit.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the jury for coming to the right decision.
“We would also like to thank Detective Inspector Nigel Reid and his team of officers from Cheshire Constabulary for all their hard work over the last 12 months and in particular the family liaison officers, David Edon and Lucy Kennedy, who have supported us through this particularly difficult time.”
