Every word Lewis Bagshaw’s partner wrote about the Sheffield dad in her witness statement

Emar Wiley, of no fixed address, was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on Monday (19 July) after a jury found him guilty of murdering 21-year-old Bagshaw on 21 July 2019.

He will serve a minimum life sentence of 16 years, minus the time he has already spent on remand. Sentences of five and a half years for GBH and three years for possession with intent to supply heroin and crack cocaine will be served concurrently.

Mr Bagshaw, who had a one-year-old son Carter with his girlfriend of five years Olivia Keeley, was chased and stabbed twice in the chest “with severe force”, according to a post-mortem report, before he was found by residents on Piper Crescent, near the Southey Green area of Sheffield.

Olivia bravely wrote an Victim Impact Statement which was used during the trial. This is what she said.

“I was asked by police if I wanted to provide a statement explaining how Lewis’s death had affected me but my response was ‘how could I possibly explain this in words alone?’

“I have been in a relationship with Lewis for the last five years and we have a two-year-old son together, Carter

"When we had Carter it was the best day of both out lives. Lewis never had a smile off his face. He was the most supportive birthing partner, he held me up all the way physically and emotionally. He was in the birthing pool the whole time, even the midwives told me how lucky I was to have such a supportive partner and said in her 20 years she’d never seen a man do that before.

"Lewis worshipped Carter and could not wait to do all the things with him that a dad usually takes for granted. He was always pushing the pram or the trike or would carry him for miles on his shoulders, that’s just the type of dad he was.

"He’d always tell me ‘My boy’s gonna break some right hearts one day’. It breaks my heart he won’t be around to see that.

"I live every day with a constant pain and emptiness for the both of us. When I wake I honestly don’t know how I will survive the day, the pain is so loud, the emptiness so scold and the anguish too much to bear. How can I come to terms with the fact I will never see Lewis again, Carter never going to see his dad again.

"I have experienced loss before, everyone does that’s life but no one should suffer having a loved one taken from them in such a violent way as I have.

"I never realised how much missing the little things would hurt, Lewis would bring me a cup of tea in a morning and play with my hair every night.

"I miss being at home on the rainy days watching my boys play for hours, that was one of my favourite things to do.

"Lewis was such an outgoing person, he was full of life. He had such a pure heart and would go above and beyond for the people he loved. Lewis’s laugh was contagious and he had an amazing sense of humour. May just gone should have been our first family holiday to Spain. Lewis had travelled a lot growing up with his nan but I never had.

He would always tell me how amazing it was and how I’d love it, our family holidays have been taken away from us just like the hundreds of other stuff we are missing out on as a family.

"Lewis is the biggest victim of this crime but our poor baby boy has lost so much at such a young age. He is now at a disadvantage for the rest of his life by not having his best friend by his side.

"Lewis would always tell me the one hundred and one things he wants to do with Carter and what he wants to teach him and how he wanted life to be. It breaks my heart that I have to now do it without him. Losing my partner is by far the worst thing that has ever happened to me, it has broken me in ways I never thought possible.

“I wanted a life with Lewis we wanted more children. We never wanted Carter to be an only child like we were. We wanted to get married, travel and build a life together. I miss him in everything I do, everyday he was my best friend, I am lost without him.

"Since I have been without him it’s hard to eat, sleep and want to get out of bed and just live day to day life. Anyone who was lucky enough to have Lewis in their lives feels the absence of him. He lit up every room he was in, he was truly an amazing person that I was lucky enough to call my best friend, partner and father to my child.

"I can’t bear the thought of one day having to tell our son why and how his dad died. What child should have to live with knowing their father was taken from them in such a inhumane, vile way?

"The statistics show Carter’s future as him being more likely to go to prison which I am going to strive and fight hard to beat the odds. Carter is stopping speaking and the emotional trauma which caused that is in itself heart-breaking. A study shows this can affect him emotionally and mentally in later life which terrifies me.

"The nightmare I have about what that night to Lew I can’t even say out loud, they haunt me in my waking hours. The anguish is always there or a heartbeat away. Sometimes when I see a funny video on social media I look up and almost say ‘watch this Lew.’ Then I remember I can’t but for those few seconds I forget which causes more hours of pain as I feel guilty for finding the video amusing.

"He made me feel safe and loved.

"Lewish Daniel Bagshaw will be forever loved and forever remembered.”

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