The four-year-old son of the man murdered in Oldham now sleeps with his 'daddy's' dressing gown on.

Today at Manchester Crown Court, Vincent McDonagh's killer Lee Burns was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 21 years - but a lifetime is not enough, fiance Demi Leigh Sykes says.

Speaking to The Oldham Times, she explained her son Frankie still looks upstairs in their home for his dad - six months on from his brutal murder.

She said: "He wakes up most nights screaming out his name, he wakes up screaming daddy and then goes to his pictures."

Fighting back tears Miss Sykes explained how "he sleeps with Vinny's dressing gown on" and how the fatal night of November 9 has resulted in a lifetime of hurt for their family.

Speaking about the impact Burns inflicted on hers and Mr McDonagh's autistic and non-verbal child, she continued: "Nothing will ever be enough, we have to live the rest of our lives without him. It's the best outcome but we still have to live forever without him.

"Every time we go out the house he'll come back in and he'll go straight to his daddy's picture and cuddle the picture.

"He'll go to the window look out and shout for daddy, and he'll go upstairs looking for him."

Delivering her victim impact statement in court, Miss Sykes shared how the couple were planning their wedding, and how she was robbed of memories the pair were yet to share.

In floods of tears she said: "I have been asked to provide a statement for the senseless murder of my fiance. I will attempt to put into words how his death has impacted me and my son and the pain.

"I still can't believe Vinny has gone I don't think I will ever come to terms with what happened that night in November, I will never forget the day my life changed forever and my world fell apart.

"Frankie has to grow up without his daddy he will have such limited memories of the time they spent together. In the last three months he's cried more and has not been his happy self, I fear he's now aware that his daddy is never coming home to see him.

Miss Sykes continued: "This man has no idea what he's done to me, to Frankie, to everyone that loved Vinny.

"I was robbed of the chance to say goodbye to Vinny. Frankie will never be able to say goodbye to his daddy and Vinny won't get the chance to see Frankie grow up.

"It feels like me and my family are the only ones being punished."

Judge Alan Conrad KC added that Burns "showed no remorse" throughout the court proceedings for Mr McDonagh's murder, and that he was a "devious and manipulative man".