My son was LEFT TO DIE

Vicky Simpson will never forgive her son's heartless killer

- FRANCESCA WOODSTOCK, HOLLY MEI-YU STAFFORD.

As a mother, there are moments in life when you feel immensely proud of the children you’ve raised. I can vividly remember standing on the sidelines of Holywell Town Football Club in September 2017, with my partner, Mike, then 33, my scarf wrapped around my neck. My eldest, Liam, 18, got hold of the ball, dribbling it up the wing of the pitch. When he scored, I felt that rush of pride. That was my son! He was mine.

As a mum to four boys, it seemed my whole life was dedicated to watching Liam and his brothers, Jack, then 16, Max, 10, and Jace, five, play football matches. And things were about to get much more hectic, because Mike and I were expecting again – another boy!

But with Liam all grown up, I knew I could count on him to help me with the little ones. He was already a doting big brother. Football mad, if he wasn’t playing, he was coaching Jace and his under-six team, or watching his beloved Liverpool FC on TV with his brothers.

And in just a few weeks, he’d start a university course at Deeside College, training to be a primary school PE teacher.

On 30 September 2017, a friend invited him to go on a night out.

Never much of a party animal, Liam was far more interested in sports than going to clubs and bars. He hadn’t even been out for a drink to celebrate turning 18 three months earlier.

I wanted Liam to go out and enjoy himself, though, before getting stuck in to his studies, so I encouraged him to go. Eventually he agreed, and he nipped into town to get his hair cut so he could look his best.

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