Robbed of a loving son, partner, dad and grandad, loved ones of murdered Paul Wilkinson are still struggling to come to terms with his brutally violent death.
Today marks one year since the popular 47-year-old was knifed to death in his Newcastle home by his childhood friend Dean Johnson. The killer launched a savage stab attack on his innocent victim after taking crack cocaine for 10 hours.
Johnson was jailed for life with a minimum of 17-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to murder. But today as they mark the heart-breaking anniversary Paul's family say they still do not feel they have got justice, and they will never get over the way he died.
Read more: Eight Newcastle schools to get knife crime 'champions' after teen 'stabbing' tragedies
His daughter Riannon said: "We are still grieving, but what has made it worse is the way that he died and everything he went through. It was absolutely horrific. We don't feel like we got justice. We still have lots of questions, and we didn't get any answers about why it happened."
Paul was a doting dad to his two daughters Jade, 27, and Riannon, who grew-up in Byker and a loving partner to their mum Lisa Richardson.
"He was just always happy and always helpful," said Riannon. "He was always there for us and he used to take us everywhere with him. I was like his little shadow.
"He was just a proper character. He always used to make us laugh."
Paul became a proud grandfather at a young age when Jade's first child was born.
And when Riannon became a mum to AJ, now two, her dad came to visit her son every day.
"He absolutely loved AJ," said Riannon. "He used to come up every day to see him."
Tragically Jade's second child was born after Paul's death so they never got a chance to meet.
"He should be here seeing his grandchildren grow-up," said Riannon. "I still wake-up every day thinking I'm going to get a phone call."
Newcastle Crown Court heard how Paul and Johnson, 52, had been pals when they were younger and had recently rekindled their friendship around six months before the attack.
On Friday December 3, it was arranged that Johnson would stay at Paul's flat, in Church Walk House, in Walker, where he lived with his cousin, Anthony Kennedy.
They spent hours smoking crack cocaine despite the fact Johnson knew this was likely to trigger paranoid beliefs, the court was told.
At around 3am the killer began to say he believed people were about to jump out of rooms to attack him and that he hoped Paul and Mr Kennedy were not setting him up.
Attempts to reassure him fell on deaf ears.
The court heard how Paul asked his cousin to go to his bedroom so he could talk to Johnson privately.
When Mr Kennedy woke up, between 1.30pm and 2pm on Saturday December 4, he found the door to the living room had been barricaded with a reclining chair.
He then listened in horror as Paul pleaded for his life as Johnson murdered him with a kitchen knife and plasterboard knife.
He repeatedly stabbed him in the abdomen and one blow penetrated his heart, the court was told.
Paul suffered nine deep wounds – eight to his abdomen and one through his heart. There were a further 11 superficial knife wounds to the torso, 28 abrasions and scratches and a post mortem found there had been at least 20 separate actions with the two knives. There were no blunt force injuries and no evidence Paul, who was 5ft 6in and just nine stone, had delivered any blows to Johnson.
Johnson, who has 109 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to murder. He was jailed for life and was told he must serve at least 17-and-a-half years before he can even be considered for parole.
But the sentence will never be long enough for Paul's still devastated family.
"It's made it worse knowing Dean was his friend," said Riannon. "My dad would have just treated him as a friend. He would never have thought he could do that."
Read next:
- Charges dropped over Gateshead 'hit and run' which left Emmerdale actress' grandad injured
- Former Whitley Bay footballer's heartache as second friend given motor neurone disease diagnosis
- Gateshead's MC Tazo records powerful rap tribute to teen stabbing victim Gordon Gault
- Hexham sex attacker convicted of 'horrifying' attack on teen victim
- 'It wasn't his time to go': How vile raider robbed tragic pensioner Billy Jackson of his chance at happiness
