The heartbroken mum of a toddler murdered by his own dad says her son was killed "only for revenge".
Patrycja Szczesniak lost her little boy Julius, two, when her ex-partner Lukasz Czapla shot him in the head with an air pistol, before stabbing him with a skewer and suffocating him.
The 41-year-old killer was jailed for at least 23 years on Wednesday.
Patrycja, from Edinburgh, Scotland, said she and her family "will fight to ensure that monster never leaves prison", reports EdinburghLive.
She said she never wanted to stop Julius from seeing his dad after they split up and he had regular access.
"If only I could turn back time to have you in my arms again my child," she said ahead of the sentencing.
She added: "Julius was murdered only for revenge.
"His dad wanted me to suffer, he succeeded and achieved his goal, at the cost of my beloved little boy’s life.
"I would have never thought he could do this to my child."
She said the toddler loved Czapla "like every child loves their dad".
"Every day I think about Julius," she went on.
"I can't imagine what his little, helpless heart felt that night and I feel his fear and pain every day.
"He was part of me, part of my heart and soul. I wish I could hug him, play with him and watch him grow.
"Every day I ask myself why there is so much evil in this world, why the innocent have to suffer.
"He not only took Julius' life but my life too.
"That day, the world stopped, not only for me but also for my mother and my sister."
Patrycja described Julius as a "very happy child" who could light up any place he went and "put a smile on anyone's face".
She said he always looked forward to calls from his grandmother and auntie, building a close bond with them despite how far away they are.
"It is breaking our hearts that we are no longer able to take his hand and lead him through life," she continued.
Patrycja said any such experiences were "brutally taken from us".
She added that "no sentence" will "bring my angel back".
"My suffering and my pain will stay with me for the rest of my life.
"But the unconditional love I have for my baby; my dearest child Julius will never end."
Czapla was sentenced at the High court in the Scottish capital city.
Emergency services were called to the family home at Muirhouse Place in November 2020, where Julius was found seriously injured.
He was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later.
