A mum was diagnosed with cancer just two days after her son was stabbed to death by his abusive girlfriend. Sandra Morgan was dealt the devastating blow only 48 hours after her world came crashing down, when her son, Gary, was killed by his partner.
The 36-year-old was knifed in the chest by Emma Walsh at her home on Lavan Close in Everton. Yesterday, the 31-year-old killer was jailed for life, with a minimum term of 18 years after a jury unanimously convicted her of murder.
During her sentencing, statements were read out on behalf of the victim's family, the Liverpool Echo reports. Dad Jimmy said his son "changed before his eyes" and became a "shadow of his former self" as he was subjected to several incidents of domestic violence.
The family, from Preston, should have been celebrating Gary's 37th on Saturday, October 15 - the day after the verdict was given. His loved ones are now urging anyone who is a victim of domestic abuse to seek help.
Mrs Morgan said in her statement: "Gary’s death has devastated our whole family, and words cannot describe our loss. Gary was a happy bubbly person who loved life. He worked hard and was trying his best to build up his business. He was only 36 years of age and had his whole life ahead of him.
"We are devastated to lose a caring and fun loving son and brother to domestic violence. Family was important to Gary, and he had a close relationship with all of us."
The mum-of-six added: "Every night, he would ring me and tell me he loved me. This is something I will never hear him say to me again. The thought of this breaks my heart. I did not think that Sunday, April 10, 2022, would be the last time I would ever speak to him.
"I never got to finish making memories with Gary, we had so much more to look forward to. I will never get to see Gary settle down or get married, and his two daughters will grow up without a dad.
"All I have left is my memories, which I will treasure forever, and his ashes which we have at home. I have a necklace which I always wear - I squeeze it to give me some comfort, but that is not the same as being able to give him a squeeze in person.
"I had to identify my son in the mortuary - I was not able to hold him or touch him, I had to look at him through a glass. I have always been there to comfort him but this time I couldn’t.
"Two days after Gary was murdered, I was diagnosed with cancer. I had my treatment, but my health was not my priority - my priority was to get justice for Gary, and I wanted to be at court every day as I did not want to let him down."
Sandra added: "Our lives will never be the same again, and there will always be part of us missing. We tried to give Emma the benefit of the doubt when we first met her. That was the biggest mistake we made. Had we have known about her past we would have done more to get Gary away from her, we did not know just how dangerous she was.
"Sitting through the trial and listening to what was really going on in Gary’s life was truly heartbreaking. No-one should ever have to listen to that, never mind a parent or sibling - we felt sick to the stomach hearing that she had stabbed Gary through his heart.
"We will never get over listening to the 999 call she made, knowing that our son and brother was dying in the background. We should have been celebrating Gary’s birthday on Saturday, October 15, as a family - we should have been able to give him his cards and presents, but instead we had to celebrate his birthday without him.
"Gary was cruelly taken too soon by Emma, who has shown no remorse for what she has done. We do not believe that the tears she has shed have been for Gary, they have been for herself because she had been found out.
"Domestic violence should not be tolerated by anyone, man or woman. If any good can come from Gary’s murder it will be for anyone who is suffering to seek help. Until we meet again, we love you Gary. Rest in peace."
Gary's father meanwhile heartbreakingly said he "feels guilty" having "taken his eye off the ball" while his wife was unwell. Jimmy Morgan's statement said: "As his dad, I saw the person I had known for 35 years change before my eyes as this is how old he was when he met Emma.
"The son I knew and loved disappeared, he was a shadow of his former self. Every time there is a knock on the door, I expect Gary to walk in. Every time I see a white van, I think it's Gary. But then reality sinks in and I realise that it's not going to be him, because he has been taken away from us.
"I feel guilty. I took my eye off the ball as Sandra was unwell and I never got to spend as much time with him. If I had, I may have been able to realise how bad things were for him and get him away from her sooner. I miss Gary so much it hurts."
Gary's brother Paul said his life had "gone into darkness", adding: "I know I have to carry on, but it will be a struggle. I have lost my day one and my shadow forever."
In a joint tribute, brothers Kevin and John added: "Gary wasn't just a brother and a son, he was our best friend - our mentor, someone who we could confide in. We feel like we have lost part of us."
Another sibling, Stephen, said he would "miss that fact he will never hear Gary's voice again", and Liam Morgan added: "I am going to miss not being able to pick up the phone and give Gary a call. I still have him in my contacts, he's at the top of my list. I miss going on drives with him. I looked up to Gary, now he’s not here anymore who do I look up to?"
Merseyside Police welcomed Walsh's sentencing, with Detective Chief Inspector Mark Drew saying: "This is a very tragic case which led to the sad death of a much-loved man. The family of Gary Morgan have been left devastated by their loss and have had to endure the ordeal of a court trial as they sought to get justice for Gary’s death.
"I can only hope that the conviction and subsequent sentencing of Emma Walsh can now bring them some comfort. Domestic abuse is a complex issue and can take many forms. It can be psychological, financial, sexual, emotional and physical and can affect anyone regardless of sex, ethnicity or religious belief.
"We want to raise awareness of the support that is available to anyone who is or has experienced domestic abuse or has been affected by it so that nobody else has to suffer in silence. We have a number of specialist departments within the police to investigate these crimes but it’s important that we all work together to support survivors and collectively work to prevent these crimes occurring in the first place by raising awareness."
The Morgans issued a further statement following Walsh's sentencing on Monday, saying: "As a family we would like to pass on our sincere thanks to prosecutor John Benson KC for his hard work and his dedication to get justice for Gary. We would also like to thank the Crown Prosecution Service and the investigation team from Merseyside Police for all their hard work.
"As a family, we are extremely grateful for the support and understanding provided by the family liaison officers who have been our rock. Thank you to family and friends for all of their support and to the witnesses who had to relive their own experiences again.
"No-one should suffer from domestic violence. Men should not be afraid to come forward if they are suffering from domestic violence from their partner - coming forward is not a sign of weakness it is a sign of strength."
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