My Mylee was taken by man who should’ve cared for her..

Mum’s pain as killer gets 27yrs

THE mother of murdered Mylee Billingham said yesterday she was “brutally taken away” by the dad who should have protected her.

Tracey Taundry, 34, described her agony as ex-partner William Billingham, 55, was jailed for at least 27 years.

He knifed his eightyear-old daughter to death in front of Tracey to get revenge after she started a lesbian relationship.

Tracey, who has two other girls, said in a victim statement his actions were “selfish and despicable”.

She added: “My smiley Mylee is gone... I’ll never see her again. She was brutally taken from me by a man that was supposed to protect and care for her.”

Addressing Mylee directly, Tracey added: “Mylee, you were perfect. You trusted your dad. I trusted him. He let you down in the most terrible of ways.” Mylee was murdered on January 20. Tracey had arrived at Billingham’s home to collect her daughter when he pulled the girl back inside. He then stabbed his daughter in the chest with a kitchen knife as horrified Tracey dialled 999. Billingham went on to stab himself but survived.

He was convicted of murder on Monday.

Billingham tried to kill himself while on trial and his lawyer Balraj Bhatia told Birmingham crown court: “His punishment is he is still breathing.”

The dad-of-six, of Brownhills, West Midlands, will not be eligible for parole until he is 82.

Judge Paul Farrer QC told him: “This was a brutal and cowardly killing of a defenceless and muchloved child who had her whole life ahead of her. It was driven by jealousy and anger... an act of revenge.” GRIEF Tracey at Mylee’s funeral. Below, Billingham VICTIM Mylee Billingham was stabbed by dad