Killer who murdered Bennylyn Burke and her daughter, two, before burying their ... trends now
The family of a Filipino woman and her daughter who were murdered by a twisted killer and buried beneath his kitchen have condemned their murderer as 'truly evil'.
Andrew Innes, 53, stabbed and beat 25-year-old Bennylyn Burke to death with a hammer before strangling her daughter Jellica at his home in Dundee. He also sexually abused Jellica and raped another child.
He was handed a life term with a minimum term of 36 years in February this year for the crimes, carried out between February 20 and March 5 2021.
Ms Burke's father, Benedicto Aquino, has told a new TV documentary about the slayings that he believes Innes deserved the death penalty for his 'truly evil' crimes while her sister Shela Aquino said he 'deserves to pay for his sins'.
The pair, who travelled to Scotland to see Innes face justice, spoke out nine months after he began his jail sentence, and six months after an appeal against his conviction and sentence was refused.
Andrew Innes is serving a life sentence for the brutal murders of Bennylyn Burke and her daughter Jellica
Bennylyn Burke and Jellica (pictured) were found buried beneath his kitchen floor after he killed them both in the space of three days
Ms Burke's father Benedicto Aquino (left) has told a new documentary series that he regards Innes as 'truly evil'. Her sister Shela Aquino (right) says he 'deserves to pay for his sins'
Andrew Innes buried Bennylyn Burke and Jellica underneath his kitchen floor after killing them both (Pictured: a police photograph of Innes' kitchen)
The kitchen floor, where Innes buried the toddler and Ms Burke after the heinous killings
Twisted Innes had made up a bed for Jellica to sleep in within the living room of his Dundee home. He sexually abused her before strangling her during a game of hide and seek
Speaking on Crime+Investigation channel series DEAD2ME, Mr Aquino said: 'It was the police in Scotland that told me my daughter and granddaughter had been murdered in Dundee.
'It is the most distressing and painful thing to lose a granddaughter and daughter.
'I couldn't accept it - what did they do wrong? Why were they killed? It was just so harrowing and painful for all of us.
'The truth is all my family are devastated, beside ourselves with grief. We loved our child Bennylyn, we can't say for sure how we are feeling right now except that we are filled with pain.'
Asked about his feelings for Innes, he added: 'I do think he is truly evil because he killed my daughter who's very kind and my granddaughter who was completely innocent. I don't understand how someone could possibly do that to two innocent people, especially a small innocent child.
'If you were to ask me, a life sentence is not enough because he took the lives of two people, he should be given the death penalty.'
Software programmer Innes, who worked at Dundee firms DMA Design and RealTime Worlds, had lured Ms Burke, originally from the Philippines, from Bristol to Dundee after targeting her through a dating website in February 2021.
She had previously married in 2018 but the marriage later broke down. After chatting with Innes, she made the decision to visit Scotland with Jellica - with Innes driving down to pick them up. They were reported missing two weeks later.
Ms Burke's sister Shela Aquino said her sibling had been enjoying life in the UK and was looking forward to the future when she started talking to Innes online.
She said: 'She was a very responsible person, especially to her family, and her child.
'She always made sure that Jellica had something to eat, that she was safe and that she was in a good place all the time.
'She was eventually given a place of her own. And she called me and told me that she was so happy. She said: "I feel really good, I can do this. I didn't realise how good this feels, I feel free from all the hardships that I've been going through".'
Bennylyn Burke and Jellica pose for a photograph outside Dundee's Overgate shopping centre after being driven there by Andrew Innes in February 2021
Innes was also photographed outside the V&A Dundee museum and alongside the Discovery ship, in this photo released by Police Scotland
Andrew Innes is seen buying a hammer on CCTV at a B&Q in the days before the killings
Andrew Innes was pictured at B&Q on February 26 buying bags of concrete
Andrew Innes being led into court during his trial at the High Court in Edinburgh. Jurors took two and a half hours to convict him of two counts of murder
However, her happiness was short-lived: Innes lunged at her with a hammer as she prepared food in the kitchen, striking her multiple times in the head, before stabbing her with a samurai sword he retrieved from his office.
Around three days later, he then strangled Jellica during a game of hide and seek, according to statements given to police by the girl that he raped.
The girl told the court that Innes had paid her every time he sexually assaulted her; she also said that Jellica had been abused.
