THE sister of murdered Robert Sempey has described the heartbreaking moments she had to tell his daughter that her dad had died.

Ian Robertson, 33, was today sentenced to a minimum of 21 years in prison for the horrific murder of Robert, 37.

Liverpool Crown Court was told how Robertson filmed the final moments of the monstrous attack on Bielby Road, Haydock – and then hid his victim's body in the back garden.

Robert's sisters Michelle and Mandie gave statements describing how Robertson had destroyed their family.

In a victim impact statement, his sister Michelle wrote: "He was a funny, loving father, brother and uncle.

"We were all that close that when we hadn't heard from him by the Saturday myself and Mandie knew something bad had happened to him, we could feel it.

"The day we found out what had happened destroyed my family – the Three Amigos became two. I had to explain to my four children that their wonderful, loving uncle had been murdered and was never coming home.

"I then had to sit his daughter down and tell her that her dad had gone to Heaven. He used to say to her 'who's the best team in the world, babe?', and she would say, 'we are dad'.

"I don't think my family will ever be able to get over this and move on.

"These people have ruined our lives and will never know what they've taken from us and the whole family will never be the same because we have now got a huge hole that will never be the same.”

His sister Mandie added: "Our Rob was my beautiful brother who was always there when I needed him. He was amazing, funny and loved to be loved.

"It was our Rob’s birthday on May 17 and instead of celebrating it with him we all had to go to his grave, including his nine-year-old daughter and mourn him. This was heart-breaking.

"[Robertson] destroyed my family, we will never get over the pain of having him taken from us.

"To see my daughter, sister and my nieces and nephews in so much pain and there's nothing I can do to take it away cuts into me deeply."

St Helens Star:

Ian Robertson (left) has been jailed for the murder of Mr Sempey and Kirsty Jervis (right) has been jailed for assisting an offender

In court today, before the sentencing of Robertson at Liverpool Crown Court, Mr Semepy's partner of five years, Lisa Rigby read an emotional statement.

She said of Robert: "He was a lovely man, he just wanted to have fun. That's what he thought was going to happen, instead you killed him".

She said the family has been left "heartbroken" and that their "lives have changed".  

Lisa added: " I don't understand how you two scumbags who have children of your own could do this to another human being. 

"You haven't shown any remorse for what you've done."

To Jervis, she said: "You had ample opportunity to alert the police. In my book, that makes you as bad as he is.

"Robert wasn't a bad person, he didn't deserve this."

She spoke of how Robert's nine-year-old daughter "didn't want to believe it was him.

"You have no idea what it is like nexplaining that to children. You haven't just killed him, you have killed all of us too."