The father of a nine-year-old boy who was stabbed to death by his mother's ex-boyfriend has said he is haunted by his grief.
Kieran Henson's little boy Darren was murdered by Daniel Boulton at the home he shared with his mum Bethany Vincent in Louth, Lincolnshire, in May 2021.
Speaking out in court as Boulton was sentenced, Mr Henson said he had seen his son, who was also known as DJ, just hours before his death.
He had dropped his boy off at 4pm only to be woken in the early hours by police, who then told him: “Your son is no longer with us “.
Mr Henson told the court: "Those words haunt me. It tears me apart not being able to see him. To see him with his favourite football team.
"I won’t see him buy his first pint on his 18th birthday and will never hear him say or shout 'Daddy.'
"I have gone from being a dad to not being a dad."
Previously Kieran had shared the final photo he and his son had taken together, a selfie of them both looking into the camera.
He described his son, who had autism, as "my world and my shining star", and added that he gave him "more strength that any man could take in".
Mr Henson shared the selfie that he had originally posted on Facebook on May 21, ten days before the incident.
He wrote: "This was the last photo I took with you my boy. I love you so much an it breaks me to write this.
"You were my world and my shining star.
"Whenever I were down I would think of you and you would give me more strength that any man could take in.
"Justice will never be served to what happened to your beautiful self and beautiful mum.
"Jjust know I will honour your memory until I can't breathe any more! I love and miss you both so much.
"Sleep tight my boy."
Mr Henson was in court to see his son's killer sentenced.
He told the court: “I want to see his face when he is sentenced and for him to realise he will never be a free man again.”
Boulton was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
