Haunting mental images of her son dying slowly and painfully at the hands of a machete wielding savage are "killing" Brandon Lee's mum.
As Ross Miller was jailed for life with a minimum term of 19 years, Brandon's mum, Nicola Lee, spoke of her family's devastation at their loss and horror at the manner of it.
Time after time, Miller chopped, stabbed and slashed his victim, who desperately moved around his killer's 'bloodbath' living room in a fruitless bid to evade the deadly blows.
Ticking timebomb Miller had a furious temper, a fascination with knives, an alcohol dependency and an interest in violent video games.
And when 24-year-old dad Brandon - who had reunited with him through one of the games - went to his flat in South Shields in May, he was brutally murdered.
As Miller, 23, was jailed at Newcastle Crown Court, his victim's mum said in a statement read to the court: "The day I was told of my son's death, the bottom of my world fell away.
"No words can describe how I am feeling. Brandon was my life."
Referring to his three-year-old daughter, she said: "He will never see her first day at school or her birthdays or Christmases and he will never get the chance to share her achievements."
She added: " The person responsible, who was meant to be to be his friend, took his life in the most cruel, brutal, callous and senseless way.
"The injuries could never be justified.
"It's destroyed me knowing his last breath was in pain.
"He must have been so scared and in so much pain.
"I was not there to protect him and I need to understand why this happened.
"I will never recover from this.
"I will never forgive the person who has taken Brandon away from us, Never, ever.
"A piece of me died when he was taken away.
"I've been robbed of my precious, beautiful boy and I will never recover from this.
"I feel totally lost without him. All I have left is his ashes in an urn and a lock of his hair. No parent should ever have to feel this pain."
Ms Lee went on to say: "All I can picture in my mind is my son dying slowly and in pain and it's killing me.
"Rest in peace Brandon, you will always be in our hearts."
It was on the night of May 11, into the early hours of the following morning, that Brandon went to Miller's flat on Victoria Road, South Shields.
Judge Paul Sloan QC said alcohol and cocaine was consumed on the night and that Miller was "prone to be confrontational and very aggressive when intoxicated and had a tendency to become angry for no good reason when drunk or drugged".
The judge added: "On this night it was your friend Brandon lee who became the target of your anger."
Although it's unclear exactly what happened between the two men, Judge Sloan said he is sure Miller was the aggressor.
He told him: "Having threatened him with the machete, you then launched a prolonged, repeated and brutal attack on him."
The judge said there were 99 sites of injury, some with multiple wounds at each site, with an "enormous number of incised wounds to the head and trunk, areas which were clearly targeted by you."
There were 30 chopping injuries, 13 stab wounds, 27 other sharp weapon injuries - a total of 70 blade wounds.
Two of the wounds were not survivable, including a machete wound which went right through his torso from back to front.
There were multiple facial fractures, fragmentation of the skull and fractures to his ribs.
Judge Sloan told Miller: "It's clear from the evidence you continued to rain blows on him as he moved anti clockwise around the living room, trying to avoid a relentless onslaught, sometimes on his feet, sometimes on the floor or on furniture, sometimes with his back to you.
"He was utterly defenceless against the machete and did no more than raise his hands to fend off the blows until eventually he collapsed on the L-shaped sofa, bleeding profusely from his wounds."
Judge Sloan said Miller had a "fascination with knives" and armed himself with "at least one particularly fearsome weapon, a machete".
He added: "Brandon Lee must have been caused considerable pain and suffering.
"The pathologist said the attack would have lasted a considerable period of time, given the number of injuries."
The judge said it was a "savage attack", although not planned or premeditated, adding: "I have no doubt you intended to kill him."
Mark Trafford QC, for Miller, said: "He maintains his instructions that he has no recollection of what occurred on that night but he entirely accepts the killing must have been senseless.
"It clearly arose spontaneously.
"The drugs, the background, the gaming, the knives, provide some limited explanation.
"He will never know and will therefore never be able to explain, what happened but that does not mean he is not contrite, for he is."
After the case, Mrs Lee said: "I am absolutely heartbroken. He is going to be a massive miss to the whole family.”
Detective Sergeant Ewan Campbell said: “This was a brutal killing which has sadly resulted in Brandon’s death. Our thoughts go out to his family at this awful time.
“These were two friends who were seen in each other’s company in the hours prior to the incident – but a disagreement inside Miller’s flat has then spiralled and the most horrific act of violence ensued."
