THE family of a man who was murdered in the early hours in Bournemouth town centre gave moving statements before his killer was sentenced.

Aspiring Royal Marine Tom Roberts was stabbed twice by Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai outside Subway in Old Christchurch Road on March 12 last year.

Abdulrahimzai, 21, was found guilty of murder following a two-week trial at Salisbury Crown Court.

At a sentencing hearing on Wednesday, January 25, the court heard statements from Tom Roberts’s father, mother, stepfather and girlfriend.

Father Philip Roberts told the court: “I miss him very much in so many ways – his struggle to get up for work at 5.30am, I miss having his help fixing things at home, I miss all his friends coming to the house, I miss his lovely girlfriend coming to stay with him.

“Tommy is my only son, I always wanted a son and he has been taken away from me, leaving a terrible void. I miss him every day, every hour, every minute.

“Now I ask justice is served.”

Tom Roberts’s mother, Dolores Roberts-Wallace, said in her statement that she was the “proudest mummy in the world”.

The statement, read by prosecution junior Ellie Fargin, said: “He was a perfect baby boy who brought us such joy.

“My heart bleeds, broken-hearted, knowing you are not here any more.

“Since you were born until the day of your death, I will never forget you.

“I’m the proudest mummy in the world.

“It is just unbelievable that you are gone forever.”

Bournemouth Echo:

Tom Roberts’s girlfriend, Gemma Walker, said in her statement that she was “surviving but not living” since his murder.

Her statement, read by Ms Fargin, said: “Now there’s nothing but complete and utter sorrow with no reason to keep going.

“The opportunity to have children with the man I love has gone.

“My world, my life and my hopes have been ripped away. I can’t look at photos without sobbing.

“I’m not the same, I will never be the same, I will never live like I did. I’m trapped in an endless cycle of disbelief.”

Stepfather Peter Wallace’s statement said there is now a “hole in our lives” where the 21-year-old should be.

Mr Wallace described introducing Tom Roberts to water sports and said he was confident his application to join the Marines would have been approved.

He said: “I loved Tommy and my life was complete, along with his sisters and baby brother.

“Tommy didn’t doubt what he wanted to do and what he wanted to be.

“His life was cut short by a murderer, and his murderer didn’t just kill him, he killed a part of each and every one of the family and it is a part of us which can never be replaced.

“There is now a massive hole in our lives where Tommy should have been.”

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