The aunt of a 'precious' baby boy with Down's Syndrome who was murdered by his 'devil' dad says she has lost 'a piece of her heart'.
Robert Ion, who was six months old, spent the majority of his short life in hospital due to his medical needs and shortly before Christmas last year, was finally able to move into his home with his parents and two-year-old sister.
Mihai-Catalin Gulie said he knew his son - who was fed through a tube - had to be treated like 'porcelain', but a court heard he subjected him to a series of attacks, the last of which involved violent shaking and left him with an irreversible brain injury.
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He's now been jailed for murder.
Anca Ion, Robert's aunt, expressed her 'deep sadness' and said in her words she feels 'she is unable to come to terms with losing a piece of her heart' - namely her nephew, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Guile's wife, Gabriela Ion, 35, covered up past abuse by hiding the baby's bruises with toothpaste and an onion, the court heard.
Gulie, 28, was today jailed for life with a minimum of 20 years for murder, while Ion was jailed for three years for allowing the death of a child.
He carried out the fatal attack on Robert at their Mersey Road, Widnes, home, after his wife nipped out to a shop with her daughter to buy sweets.
Liverpool Crown Court heard the vulnerable and defenceless child died three days later, on February 21 this year.
As the couple sat emotionless in the dock, Charlotte Atherton, prosecuting, summarised victim personal statements written by Robert's wider family.
She said Anca Ion, Robert's aunt, expressed her "deep sadness" and said in her words she feels "she is unable to come to terms with losing a piece of her heart" - namely her nephew.
Ms Atherton said: "As one might expect, the wider family were delighted by the arrival of Robert.
"Unfortunately because he was unwell and in hospital, they were unable to visit him for some time because of Covid-19, so they were elated when he was able to go home.
"She describes him as being precious and loved and she describes the joy that he obviously brought to the whole family, including the children in the family, and expresses her sadness at the shortness of his life."
The Romanian couple moved to the UK in 2019, joining other members of their family, after convicted woman beater Ion was previously deported from the Czech Republic in December 2017.
Gulie and Ion lived in Mersey Road, Widnes with Robert and their two-year-old daughter.
Ms Atherton also read a statement from Robert's second cousin, Stelian Trandafir, who was sitting in the public gallery with another family member, Crina Ion.
The barrister said: "Mr Trandafir's statement is made on behalf of the entire family, who he says have been naturally torn apart by the tragic and devastating circumstances of losing Robert.
"He describes their close knit family, the fact that they depend and counted on each other, in particular when they moved to this country, and that the events of February this year have had a significant impact upon the family.
"They remain, as one might expect, in shock. He describes how Anca Ion, who is the aunt of Robert, feels like she is really in the middle of a bad nightmare, completely overwhelmed by sadness, and Crina Ion, who is demonstrably sad on a daily basis.
"He describes the whole family as having a heavy sense of sadness. They are all clearly affected by this tragic event."
Ms Atherton added: "Ms Crina Ion describes how happy the family was when Robert was born, how attached she had become to him and her desire for justice."
Gulie will have to serve at least 20 years in prison before he can apply for parole and there is no guarantee he will be released at the first time of asking.
However, the 274 days he and Ion have already spent in custody will count towards their sentences.
