‘Our lives are not and never can be the same’

THE victim impact statement read out at court by Leanne’s step-mum Helen Greenwood, partner of Leanne’s father Richard: ‘The effect of all this has had a devastating had life-long consequences for all of us.

We had watched Leanne blossom as she moved into her new home. It was a fresh start for the three of them in a lovely home.

I have a longing for Leanne to burst through the door with her latest news. I know I will never again be able to hug her, laugh with her, cry with her or even argue with her.

I cry for my beautiful daughter for all the

It’s impossible to comprehend what we all went through in the days after it happened.

We all had to see our beautiful Leanne so distorted by her injuries that we put photographs on the machine so the nurses could see her beyond the injuries.

We saw Leanne receive amazing care from the nurses and doctors and dared to hope she could survive.

Then we had to hear that she suffered significant brain damage at the scene.

We all stood around her bed for 15 minutes while consultants tried over and over to resuscitate her.

None of us know how we will ever get peace from those images.

Richard is a serving police officer of 20 years.

He’s not been able to return to work since August and it’s unlikely that he will ever return to his career as a response officer. As a father and police officer, unable to protect his daughter and granddaughter from such evil, it’s left him with a pain that will never leave him.

Our lives are not and never can be the same as before. We are a strong family and will do everything to create a safe and loving space for our children.

But we need to see justice for Leanne.