The family of murdered toddler Andrew Morton marked what should have been his 21st birthday yesterday and prayed his killer would never be freed.
Mark Bonini has served more than 18 years of a life sentence for murdering Andrew, two, by shooting him in the head with an airgun.
Andrew’s mum and dad, Sharon McMillan and Andy Morton, gathered at his grave with their three younger children, Calvin, Mercedes and Tulisa, to remember Andrew and pin cards to the little fence around the plot.
Later, the family, joined by older sisters, Cheryl and Sammy, and older brother Brian, and their four grandchildren, set off balloons from their home in Garthamlock, Glasgow.
As they watched them soar into sky, their thoughts were full of the loss they carry along with the love they’ll always have for Andrew.
Sharon said: “People might not realise this and wonder why we still go on about Bonini but the grief is still as raw now as it ever was. You don’t get over the death of your child, especially when it was so senseless, you just learn to put a smile on and cope.
“We could never forgive Bonini for denying Andrew a long and happy life. We want him to stay in jail for a long time, ideally for every bit as long as our suffering lasts.”
In January, the family heaved a sigh of relief when they learned the Parole Board for Scotland had knocked back Bonini’s latest bid for freedom, meaning he would remain in jail for at least another year.
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