Incredulous family tell of a ‘living nightmare’

THE family of Lesley Potter spoke movingly of their loss – describing the last seven months since her death as a “living nightmare”.

Her two daughters and son told Swansea Crown Court, in victim impact statements, that Derek Potter had robbed their children of their grandmother and ruined their lives.

Victoria Bull, Mrs Potter’s daughter from her first marriage, said: “On April 7 my mother was cruelly, violently and deceitfully taken from me and my family in the most unimaginable way.

“On that day my family’s lives changed forever and our whole lives will never be the same again.

“The last seven months have been a living nightmare and the psychological impact upon our lives is too great to put into words.

“I am numb, still in shock, and not able to grieve the loss of my mother.”

Ms Bull said the day of her mother’s death was one of the “hardest days of my life”, as she had to tell her children that their grandmother had taken her own life.

But weeks later, she had to say that their grandmother in fact had been killed by the man they regarded as their grandfather.

“As a parent, you do everything you can to protect your children – but I could not protect them from this,” she said.

Ms Bull said her family was preparing for the funeral when the police informed her that Potter had been arrested on suspicion of murder.

“I cannot describe to you how I felt,” she said.

“My heart was breaking... the thought of knowing how frightened she must have been, knowing that the man she lived with for many years was killing her, the hurt and anguish she must have felt knowing there was nobody in the house to protect her.”

She added: “My first and last thought each day are of my mum.”

Ms Bull also criticised Potter for telling lies to cover up his crime.

“I feel like my mum’s memory has been tarnished with the untrue things said about her in court,” she said.

“Mum is not here to give her side of the story.

“How could he carry out such a crime towards the person he was supposed to love?”

Her brother, Adrian Bull, said his mother’s death had a “massive impact” upon his family.

He said: “She will never get to see her grandchildren grow up, and I will miss my mum for the rest of my life – and knowing I could not protect her is hard to live with.”

Nicole Njegovan, Mrs Potter’s daughter from her marriage to Potter, said she never thought her mother could take her own life.

“I was four months pregnant at the time and I don’t know how she could leave me,” Mrs Njegovan said.

“I knew something was not right. My mum would not have done that to herself as she had so much to live for and was looking forward to the birth of my second child.”

She said she found it very hard to come to terms with her father murdering her mother.

“I will forever grieve for her. My mum was my best friend and she has been cruelly and terribly taken from us,” she added.

“All I want to do is ring her, give her a cuddle and a kiss.

“My children are the only thing that are keeping me going. I have to stay strong for them.”

Detective Chief Inspector Darren George, who led the investigation, said afterwards: “Derek Potter went to great lengths to try and disguise his horrific crime.

“I am grateful to the witnesses, whose compelling evidence helped the jury to see through Potter’s persistent and devious lies.”