Family Statement of Murdered Manchester Dad And Son.

13 June 2013, 18:23 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

An emotional statement was read out from the family of a Greater Manchester dad and son, after their killer was told he will spend the rest of his life in jail.

Family statement from family of David and Mark Short - Michelle Kelly is David Short's partner and Mark's mum. 

"The 25th May 2012 was the day that my life turned into a living nightmare. A nightmare that I am still living and will be for the rest of my life. I will never stop crying.

"Mark and David didn't just die they were brutally murdered by cowards.

"Dave and I were there when Mark was murdered. We witnessed the murder of our only son - something that will haunt me forever.

"Mark has a three year old son, Mark Junior, and a loving partner Naomi. They had a future together. They had plans for that future.

"On August 10th 2012, I made the difficult decision to return to work. I was only in work for a couple of hours when I heard Dave had been shot.

"It was only 11 weeks after losing my son. It was totally devastating  They have not only taken my son Mark from me, they have now taken my Dave as well.

"I have been with Dave for 28 years. We had two wonderful children together, three beautiful grandchildren.

"I love and miss Dave and Mark more than words can say.

"No sentence served by the people who murdered my Dave and Mark will ever be long enough to reflect the pain and suffering caused by their loss.

"I miss Dave and Mark so much, my heart aches for them every waking hour. Nothing I can do will ever bring them back to me.

"They could not beat Dave in life and they will not beat him in death.

"We are happy with the sentences given out to the ones convicted. We are not happy with the total outcome of the verdicts.

Stacey Short - David’s daughter and sister of Mark. 

"No one should have to go through what me and my family have been through. We were a happy family and now half my family have been taken away from me. My dad and brother will never be forgotten.

"They will always be in our hearts and memories. No one can take them away; all I want now is for each and every one who was involved with my dad and brother’s murder, no matter how small their part was, is to be given the utmost prison sentence that can be given to them.

"It would have only taken one of them to have prevented what happened to both my brother and my father. 

One of them could have called the police anonymously and stopped all this from happening.  I don’t know how they can live with themselves. I truly hope they rot in hell.

Naomi Morton - girlfriend of Mark short and mother to their son

"Mark was such an important and special part of my life. I met him when I was 13 years old and we were completely inseparable.

"I can’t accept my life without Mark but it’s the reality I will have to face every day for the rest of my life.

"I don’t know how things are going to be anymore. All I am doing is taking it one day at a time. My heart yearns for him, and it hurts for Dave. I can’t accept that they have been taken away from us and for what?

"The people that have done this are vicious and reckless.

"I know throughout Mark junior’s life I will be wishing that his dad and granddad was here to see him and it hurts beyond words.

"These people will always be proud of what they have done, they will boast about it, just as their friends do now. They are cowards and they know they are cowards. It makes me sick to the stomach what they have done, animals!

"They deserve to spend the rest of their lives in jail: the pain and misery they have caused; the lives they have ended and shattered. I and others will suffer for the rest of our lives. Justice should see that those responsible do too."