By Brian Smith

AFTER THE verdict, the family of Steven Jones said they had hoped for a verdict of guilty of murder.

“It’s second best but at least he’s away,” was their verdict on the finding of culpable homicide.

A fascination with cars as a young man in his native Dundee had brought Steven into conflict with the law. He was one of the first offenders sentenced to spend time with the Airborne Initiative, a scheme set up by former service personnel which was designed to introduce young offenders to discipline and responsibilities using a military regime.

Steven Jones was one of their successes, graduating and being employed by the scheme until it was disbanded.

His partner, Diane Harper (32), said yesterday that she met Steven while he was with the Airborne Initiative.

Her brother was with a squad from the Royal Engineers carrying out work for the initiative at one of their camps when he met Steven and the pair became firm friends. One weekend, Steven came to visit and she said they “hit it off immediately.”

Several of Steven’s four brothers interrupted to chorus, “Aye, he was never a man to waste time.”

She said they moved to Scotland while Steven worked with the Airborne Initiative but when it folded they moved to her home of Droitwich in Worcestershire in search of work.

Steven worked on taxis, was a retained firefighter and TA soldier before finding work with recovery builder Roger Dyson, while she managed a working men’s club.

“He rose from the shop floor to management; he was sales support manager,” she said.

Shortly before his death, he was involved in preparing the company’s exhibit for the Scottish Truckfest.

When workers from Poland began to join the company, he learned their language and he and Diane became an unofficial support organisation for the new immigrants, helping them settle and even putting them up at times.

“To say thank you they took me and Steve on holiday to Poland one year,” Diane said.

So highly was he thought of by his employers and workmates, Diane said his bosses organised a bus for people who wanted to go to his funeral in Dundee.

She said his death had hit the family “hard”, and it had been difficult reliving events as she attended each day of the trial.

“The children know Mummy’s at court because of what happened to Daddy,” she said.

She has all the copies of The Courier’s coverage of the case and said, “One day, when they are old enough, I’d like them to be able to read about what happened.”

All of the family were adamant that Steven Jones was not a man to look for trouble and would walk away if it found him.